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Royalty. The great kakawins of the reign of King Hayam Wuruk, in the first place the Nagara Kërtagama, are exceptions. They will be discussed separately. Under the present head two kakawins, probably belonging to the post-Kadiri period of Old Javanese century, are registered. Both are versifications in Indian metres of older prose texts. On the whole the un known poets followed their model faithfully, in some cases differences and inserted pas sages are noticeable, however. In Javanese literary history versification of texts which originally were written in prose was practised more than once. Perhaps the tendency of giving all important literary works a poetical form originated in the period of consolidation of amalgamated Ja- vanese-Indian culture in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In the course of Java nese history it gradually increased in strength. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century classical renaissance period, writing books in verse was the rule and writing prose was an exception (see 00040). The Brahmanda Purana kakawin (other name: Përthu Wijaya) is an adaptation in Indian metres of the Old Javanese prose purana of the same name which has been discussed in Part Two, History and Mytho logy; °f the present Synopsis (20.220). Gonda’s edition (KBG, Bibl. Javanica vol. 5 and 6, 1932 and ’33) contains both the prose text and the kakawin. The Kunjara Karna kakawin has for model the prose text of the same name. It is a moralistic didactic Buddhist text, regis tered in Part One, Religion (13.010). Poerbatjaraka suggested (BKI vol. 107, 1951, p. 201) that the Kunjara Karna kaka

win was meant by Prapahca in his Nagara Kërtagama (canto 94) where he mentions Sugata Parwa Warnana as the name of one of his other poems. Prapanca belonged to a family of Buddhist ecclesiastics. 30.111 Brahmanda Purana kakawin, metric version of the prose text: cod. 3730 (= 4159), 4160, CB 90 (Përthu Wijaya). 30.112 Brahmanda Purana kakawin, frag ments : cod. 4161, 4162. 30.113 Kunjara Karna kakawin: cod. 5023-11 (= 10.512 = BCB prtf 22). 30.120 Nagara Kërtagama (major kakawin, group A). In the reigns of the fourteenth century Majapahit Kings, especi ally in King Hayam Wuruk’s time, Old Javanese Court literature had a last flour ishing period. A most remarkable kakawin, at present called the Nagara Kërtagama, was written in 1365 by the poet Prapanca, who belonged to a family of Buddhist Court scholars. The poem, originally called Désa Warnana, Description of the Country, is a panegyric for King Hayam Wuruk. But it contains so many paragraphs on the Court, the Royal family, religious institutions and so on, that it is a mine of information on fourteenth century Java. The book has al ready been discussed in Part Two, History, of the present Synopsis (20.400). Several Dutch scholars worked on Nagara Kërtagama editions and translations; the first of them were Dr Brandes and professor Kern. The present author’s “Java in the “Fourteenth Century” (1960-1964) contains an annotated English translation. 30.121 Nagara Kërtagama (Désa Warnana) :