Āryāsaptaśatī

A kāvya text composed by Govardhana, the court poet of King Lakṣmaṇasena (1179–1205 CE), a ruler from the Sena dynasty of Bengal. The poet is closely associated with the tradition of erotic muktaka-class poetry. The work is composed in the āryā metre. (A History of Indian Literature, Vol. 1, Fasc.I, Gonda, Jan (ed.). pp. 97-99). The introductory chapter invokes Lord Śiva, Viṣṇu, Caṇḍī, Pārvatī, Lakṣmī, Gaṇeśa, and other deities. It then proceeds to praise the poets Vālmīki, Kālidāsa, Bhavabhūti, and Bāṇa, followed by a brief autobiographical account by the author (verses 1–54, folios 1b–3b). The original work contains 702 verses, arranged into vrajyās, which are organized alphabetically (i.e., a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, and so on), totaling 34 vrajyās. However, this particular manuscript is not arranged in vrajyās, and it is incomplete. It contains more than 600 verses in the āryā metre, with approximately 87 verses missing (between verse numbers 120 and 208). Additionally, two leaves are foliated as 6, with some text repeated. This may be the result of a scribal error or the merging of two distinct manuscripts of the same text. This Ms. is written in 11–12 lines per folio. There are double black vertical margins on each side of the folio. Mistakes are covered with yellow or blacked out. Some corrections and additions in the margins. Significant words and syllables rubbed with orange powder for highlighting.