12. The sunset of life

Dhanapala seems to have stayed at Dhara thenceforeward. During this period he led a highly passive life which almost ruled out literary activity, as has 138 been accidently noted by Merutunga, though he did compose a few religious works, like the 'Savayavihi', the Sanskrit Prakrit Virastuti' and a Sanskrit commentary on the 'Stuti-caturvimsatika' of his younger brother Sobhana, a Jain monk then, who requested him for that 139 while on his death-bed. When the ending hour of his life was in view, the poet left Dhara and went to his preceptor Mahendrasuri before whom he took the ■*** vow of a fast unto death and left this world of his 140 own accord. 137. Prabhavaka-charita 17.319: dharmo jayati jadharma ityali ki krtam vacah | idam tu satyata jita dharmasya vyaktiा gatih || 310 || 138.See supra ft.nt.No.132. 139.ssv.Intro. vs. 7: etam yathamati vidrsya nijanuja stha tasyo- jjvalaॉ krtimalamkrta ban svavrtyam | adhyarthinom vidyata cidiva prayanam tenaiva sampratakavirdhana palanama ||7|| ; also Prabhavaka-charita 17.320: tasam jivastuti jo ca siddha sarasvatah kavih | riko cakara sodaryasneha cini bahana drnkham || 327|| This last work might have been written before the poet composed his Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala 140.see next page.