काव्यालङ्कार (आचार्य भामह - भारतीय काव्यशास्त्र एवं अलङ्कार-सिद्धान्त मूल महाग्रन्थ सटीक)

PREFACE v
other names are those of poems or poets. Bhāmaha
himself admits the benefit derived by him from
older writers on poetics, but emphasises that the
judgments are his own. Cf. बहुविधकृतीर्दृष्ट्वाऽन्येषां स्वयं
परितर्क्य च V—69 and अवलोक्य मतानि सत्कवीनामवगम्य स्वधिया च
·काव्यलक्ष्म VI—64.
The Date of Bhāmaha.
Scores of quotations from Bhāmaha drawn by
Abhinavagupta and later rhetoricians need not be
discussed in determining the date of Bhāmaha, for
we have to go to still earlier authors. Bhāmaha
is quoted by Ānandavardhana, author of Dhvanyā-
loka, who flourished in the latter half of the 9th
century. Ānandavardhana refers to a commentary
on Bhāmaha by Udbhaṭa who is known from Kal-
haṇa as the सभापति of जयापीड who reigned in Kashmir
from 779 to 813 A. D. Bhāmaha's views are often
followed by Vāmana, minister of जयापीड. So Bhā-
maha must be older than Udbhaṭa or Vāmana. He
has to be pushed back still further, for 3 ślokas of
his are adopted by Śāntarakshita (705 to 762 A. D.).
That Bhāmaha is prior to Bhaṭṭi can also be seen
from our notes on—
काव्यान्यपि यदीमानि व्याख्यागम्यानि शास्त्रवत् ।
उत्सवः सुधियामेव हन्त दुर्मेधसो हताः ॥ II—20.
Bhaṭṭi, according to Mr. P. V. Kane, is located be-
tween 500 and 650 A. D. Bhāmaha is prior also to