Yasastilaka and Indian Culture

SR No.: 001609
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 566
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Story, Literature, & Culture
File Size: 16 MB

Page 314

11. THE ANUPREKŞĀS AND JAINA RELIGIOUS POETRY
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The next important treatise to deal with the subject is Svāmikārttikeyānuprekşā of Kārttikeya, who devotes the entire work of 489 verses in Prākrit to the elucidation of the Anupreksās. It is a work of considerable merit, but the treatment of the subject is disproportionate inasmuch as more than 350 verses deal only with Lokānuprekşā (115-283) and Dharmānuprekşā (302-486). This is due to the fact that Kārttikeya includes in his work many heterogeneous details not usually incorporated in the discussion of the Anuprekşās. The date of the author is not certain, but he is assigned to the early centuries of the Christian era.
A comprehensive exposition of the Anuprekşās occurs also in Śivārya's Bhagavati Ārādhand,' a devotional work in Sauraseni Prākrit containing more than 2000 verses, of which (1715-1872) deal with the Anuprekşās. Sivārya is an important writer and said to be a disciple of Samantabhadra. He may be identified with Sivakoti who is mentioned in Jinasena's Adipurāna 1. 49. That he is considerably earlier than the tenth century is shown by the fact that his Arādhana was translated into Sanskrit verse by the wellknown writer Amitagati who flourished towards the end of the tenth century and the beginning of the eleventh. Sivārya's style is simple and lucid, and he uses a large number of interesting similes to illustrate his ideas. For example,
रत्तिं एकम्मि दुमे सउणाणं पिंडणं व संजोगो । परिवेसो व मणिच्चो इस्सरियाणाधणारोग्गं ॥ 1720 धावदि गिरिणदिसोदं व आउगं सव्वजीवलोगम्मि । सुकुमालदा वि हायदि लोगे पुवण्हछाही व ॥ 1723 जह आइच्चमुदितं कोई वारंतओ जगे णस्थि । तह कम्ममुदीरतं कोई वारंतओ णस्थि ॥ 1740 ससगो वाहपरद्धो बिलं ति णाऊण अजगरस्म मुहं । सरणं ति मण्णमाणो मचुस्स मुहं जह अदीदि ॥ 1781 तह अण्णाणी जीवा परिखमाणा छुधादिवाहे हिं । अदिगच्छंति महादुहहेतुं संसारसप्पमुहं ॥ 1782 सरिसीए चंदिगाए कालो वेस्सो पिओ जहा जुण्हो। सरिसे वि तहा चारे कोई वेस्सो पिओ कोई॥ 1808 छंडिय रयणाणि जहा रयणद्दीवा हरिज कट्टाणि । माणुसमवे वि छंडिय धम्म भोगे भिलसदि तहा ॥ 1829
पावपयोगासवदारणिरोधो अप्पमादफलिगेण। कीरइ फलिगेण जहा णावाए जलासवणिरोधो॥ 1837 Strings of Rūpakas are also used occasionally:
एवं पिणद्धसंवरवम्मो सम्मत्तवाहणारूढो । सुदणाणमहाधणुगो झाणादितवोमयसरेहिं ॥ 1853 संजमरणभूमीए कम्मारिचमू पराजिणिय सव्वं । पावदि संजयजोहो अणोवमं मोक्खरज्जसिरिं ॥ 1854
It is not known when Sanskrit verse was first employed to describe the Anuprekşās, but Somadeva's account of them in Yasastilaka, Book II in 53 verses composed in the Vasantatilakā metre may be regarded as one of the earliest attempt to expound them in Sanskrit instead of Prākrit verse. His treatment of the Anuprekşās is weighty and compact and full of spiritual fervour; and his verses on the subject are unique in th
1 For a detailed note on the Bhagavali Ārādhanā, see A. N. Upadhye: Brhad-kathākośa
Intro, pp. 50 ff.