1897.] M. M. Chakravarti —Language and Literature of Orissa. 331 
Part II. Sanskrit Literature of Orissa. 
Little is known outside Orissa of the old writings of the Oriyas; 
and even in Orissa their knowledge is of the vaguest nature. Only 
two English writers have dealt with the Oriya writers, viz., Mr. Beames 1 
and Sir W. Hunter. 2 Mr. Beames’ notices are slight extending over a 
page and half only, more than one-third of which is taken up with an 
extract from the Oriya poet Dlnakrsna Dasa and its English translation. 
Sir W. Hunter’s list is fuller and gives a fairly complete list of all 
kinds of Oriya and Sanskrit works. But the other informations are 
meagre; the dates generally wrong; the authorities are not quoted, 
and the reasons not given ; while the arrangement, being alphabetical 
according to the names of the authors, fails to give an idea of the 
historical development of the literature. This lamentable ignorance 
is certainly due to want of reliable data. In this article I intend to 
furnish the readers with some such data tested and compiled to the 
best of my ability from the original MSS. I only regret that the 
pressure of official work leaves me little time to give the necessary 
finishing touches. 
An examination of the Orissa literature shows that compositions in 
Sanskrit preceded those in the vernacular. Even these Sanskrit works 
so far as available are late products. Excepting a few inscriptions on 
stones and copper-plates, I am not aware of any Sanskrit compositions 
which can be reliably considered older than the Graqgavari^a rule 
(1135-1434 A.D.). The older inscriptions show that Sanskrit was 
studied fairly well, but the poems and treatises then composed appear 
to have been lost. This limit in time, it is desirable to bear in 
mind. , 
During the Graijgavamfa rule and downwards numerous Sanskrit 
works were composed, almost all of which can be broadly divided into 
two great classes 
A. Pauranic. 
B. Srnrtic. 
A. The works of both these classes were more or less products of 
necessity. Various towns of Orissa came to be regarded as Tirthas and 
thus centres of extensive pilgrimages. These towns were dotted with 
temples, tanks and sacred places, of whom the pilgrims wanted to 
know the mythological history. They became crowded with Brahmins 
and Sevakas, whose hereditary business came-to be to give explanations 
l Mr. Beames’ Comp. Gram. Indo-Aryan Languages, Yol. I, pp. 88-9. 
8 Sir W. Hunter’s History of Orissa, Yol. II, Ft. IX, pp. 199-210. 
