Studies in Jain Literature

SR No.: 001868
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 114
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Literature, & Story
File Size: 14 MB

Page 336

318 STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE plagiarism as De does. A close study of the Kas reveals that Hemacandra shows independence of thought and judgment in good many places refusing to follow blindly his acknowledged authorities. It is, however, incorrect to call Hemacandra's Kas unique because it brings for the first time poetics and dramatics within the compass of a single work. For it is not the first of its kind. Hemacandra takes the lead from Bhoja's Srngaraprakasa which treats of both poetics and dramatics. Again, it is to be remembered that Hemacandra's treatment of dramatics is scanty. It is probably for this reason that his two pupils Ramacandra and Gunacandra undertook writing their Natyadarpana which gives a comprehensive treatment of this science of dramatics. . (9) Kalpalata and its Pallava (and Viveka) 18 of Ambaprasada (c. 1136 A. D.) : The text Kalpalata and its vitti Pallava are as yet not discovered. Kalpalata and its svopajna (auto) commentary Pallava are the composition of Ambaprasada, who was, most probably, a Jain. Whether Viveka was also composed by him or by some other author is not as yet definitely known. Possibly, this Viveka is the composition of a Jain author. This Viveka commentary forms a supplement to the Pallava commentary. Although it is a supplement and sub-commentary it is highly important in many respects : It presents correctlly a couple of Prakrit and Apabhramsa verses which were otherwise extremely corrupt and obscure. It preserves a large portion of the Abhinavabharati ch. VII, which was regarded as lost for ever by scholars working in the field. It helps a good deal in restoring corrupt readings in Abhinavabharati and Locana. It preserves about a hundred pratikas of the Vakrokti-jivita mostly related to Chapter III and presents authentic explanations. It throws fresh light on Bhamahavivarana (Udbhata's commentary on Bhamaha's Kavyalamkara) which was presumed to have been lost beyond recovery. It supports Gnoli's identification of his publication of some fragments from this commentary with Bhamahavivarana It also helps to restore some of the corrupt readings in the voluminous srngaraprakasa publisherd from Mysore in four volumes. (10) The Natyadarpana 19 of Ramacandra and Gunacandra (c. 1125 to 1172 A. D.) : This is a very important work dealing with the science of dramatics. Unfortunately it is less known but deserves to be known better. It treats of almost all the topics of dramaturgy which a playwright ought to know. The authors of the ND critically studied all the literature on dramaturgy that was available to them. They made full use of the works of their predecessors but whenever and wherever they disagreed, they boldly criticised them and set forth