Kārtavīryodaya

A 17-act (sarga) Mahākāvya on the story of Kārtavīrya Arjuna, the son of Haihaya king Kṛtavīrya, a Puranic king, was famous for his valour and also because of his physical appearance, as he possessed a thousand arms. His story can also be found in the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, and early references can be found in the Ṛgveda. This Mahākāvya was composed by Sukṛtidatta, the son of Bhavadatta, a Sanskrit scholar, and his mother was Bhargavī. He was born in 1823/24 in western Nepal, near the city of Baglung. In the first chapter, he describes the city of Māhiṣmati (folios 1b-4a). In this text, he mentions famous Sanskrit poets such as Kālidāsa, Bhavabhūti, Murāri, Māgha, Bhāravi, and Śrīharṣa (folio 102b). It seems that in folio 100b, the 16th chapter ends and the 17th chapter begins, as the śloka numbers start from the beginning. However, at the end of the text, it is mentioned that the 16th chapter has been completed.