The traditional Indologists will have mixed reaction when they read the present work which is an index of 'Sanskrit and Prakrit Poets Known from Inscriptions'. A more appropriate title for the book would have been 'Patrons and Writers of Ancient Indian Inscriptions'. The book provides a comprehesive list of names of composers, writers and engravers of inscriptions under the heading of poets and an exhaustive introduction.
Inscriptions as historical evidence take precedence over any other evidence. For any profound studies of inscriptions, bibliography is the basic need. A bibliography of the first thirty-four volumes of Epigraphia Indica has been prepared by Lahiri A. Ν. (1962). The nature of this bibliography is different from those of Kielhorn and Bhandarkar. This index consists of list of articles, authors, find-spots of the inscriptions, places where they are now deposited and names of gift villages etc. But so far, there was no separate list of writers. This need has been fulfilled by the late Prof. D. B. Diskalkar.
In ancient India, there were no historians like Herodotus, Thusydides or Tacitus to write comprehensive history of India and therefore in the reconstruction of ancient Indian history epigraphical evidence is regarded as the most authentic source. Inscriptions not only retain the nature of writing to keep a record of its own development but they communicate different ideas of history and provide an opportunity to study the phenomena of diffusion of culture and civilization.
Inscriptions have a complex nature. They are not merely records but there is an easy flow of the then ideologies and literary concepts. The remarkable inscription of Rudradaman at Junagarh, the Allahabad Prasasti of Samudragupta and the Aihole Prasasti of Pulakesin II are the master-pieces of poetry. While reading these inscrptions the readers feel the poetic passion. These inscriptions have stored the sparkling genius of poets, who had recorded the historical facts in lucid language. But others, who have copied and merely drafted the inscriptions should be designated as writers and not poets.
In the Introduction, the author has categorically discussed the ancient Indian practice of writing inscriptions, their nature, the role of poets, composers, engravers and the involvement of other officials like 'Sandhivigrahika', 'Divirapati', 'Dutaka', 'Lekhaka' etc. The author has further shown that when both 'Duta' and 'Lekhaka' are mentioned in inscriptions the latter could be a mere copier or an engraver and 'Duta' could be an author.
Drafting and authorship are quite different faculties. The author has taken the Mauryan King Asoka as a drafter of his well-known inscriptions. Like him the Greek ambassador Heliodorus and the Vakataka queen Prabhavati Gupta were decidedly patrons and not at all poets.
It may further be noted that under the heading No. 20 in Introduction, Diskalkar has taken a review of 800 names of Sanskrit and Prakrit authors-all those authors were involved in writing, and, in reality, were composers or writers and not poets.
The book has furnished an intimate glimpse of ancient writers' community about whom very little is known in ancient Indian history. On the whole the late Prof. Diskalkar deserves compliments for presenting comprehensive index of writers, who had the honour of recording vital ancient documents for the posterity.
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