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III The Life and the Works of Hemachandra
18
The main problems in connection with the life of Hemachandra have been critically considered by the late Dr. Bühler in his learned monograph on the subject published in 1889 at Vienna.
No student of Hemchandra's life can afford to neglect the study of this fine piece of research. In fact this monograph has been largely drawn upon by scholars for information regarding the life of Hemachandra.
The publication of some new material and a re-examination of the sources used by that learned scholar, however, make it necessary to reconsider the whole question and revise some of his opinions. It will not be possible, however, in this introduction, to discuss all the questions in detail. *
Dr. Bühler used the following four works:
(1) The Prabhāvakacharita of Prabhāchandrasūri completed in the year V. S. 1334-A. D. 1278.
(2) The Prabandhachintīmaņi of Merutunga. (3) The Prabandhakoşa of Rājasekhara.
(4) The Kumārapāla Prabandha of Jinamaņdana Upadhyaya.
The two Dvyásrayas, the Prasasti to the Siddha Hema, and the Mahaviracharita from the Trisashtişalākāpurushacharita - Hemchandra's own works - were also used by him.
* See the Preface pp. IX-XI to the English translation of Dr. Bühler's Life of Hemachandra published in the Sioghi Jaioa Series.
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