1886.] Kavi Raj Sliyamal Das —On the PrUhi Raj Rasa. 27 
fastening the sword to the belt, and keeping the kettle-drum in the 
van of their processions, long before S. 1671, in Maha Rana Pratap 
Singh’s time (whose reign ended in S. 1658 = A. D. 1601),—with an 
oath to revive* these customs only on retaking Delhi. 
The noble deeds of the Ranas of this State during S. 1640-70, and 
the awe inspired by Maha Rana Sangram Singh and his predecessors in 
the minds of the people led them (people) to cherish a sanguine expecta¬ 
tion that some Rana or other would take Delhi; and with this idea the 
author of the ‘ Rasa ’ inserted the couplet in his production. 
I do not hold the narrative of the ‘ Prithi Raj Rasa ’ to be totally 
incorrect; but it is clear enough, that the author must have based his 
fabric on some wrong annals. 
My main object in writing this paper (for publication) is to caution 
the public against the incorrect dates given in the ‘ Rasa ’ and against 
the belief that it was composed by Chand Bardai, or even by any author 
who was his contemporary. 
The spuriousness of the Rasa, and my doubts as to its antiquity, are 
further confirmed by the fact that its narrative, and the names of per¬ 
sons and dates as found in it, do not agree with those in the Persian 
works of Prithi Raj’s time. 
I second the statement made by Vincent A. Smith, Esq., B. 0. S :— 
“ The Rasa as we now have it, is misleading, and all but worthless 
for the purposes of the Historian.” [J. A. S. B. 1881. Pt. I, No. I, 
page 29.] 
APPENDIX. 
Inscription I, 
[This Inscription is very corrupt, being full of mistakes made by 
the Inscriber, who makes no distinction between ^ and ll, and has 
made a mess of the vowel-marks (??RT) and the Anuswaras and Yisargas. 
Here and there some letters have been defaced : thus it is very difficult 
to arrive at the original readings and the author’s meaning; but the 
Pandits here have tried their utmost to make the best of it as it 
stands. The transcript was taken on Gokank paper, and deciphered by 
Pandit Ram Pratap Jotishi, a good Sanskrit scholar and the only anti¬ 
quarian in the city. 
* Not revived till now. Tlie Ranas do eat out of a metallio dish, but still a 
leaf-platter is placed undei’neath it. 
