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 519

A BRIEF SURVEY OF JAIN LITERATURE.... 501 In early Jain works Pandavas are not given the prominence and importance which is accorded to them in the Mahabharata; nor Krsna is deified as in the Mahabharata; he is presented as a brave and noble Ksatriya hero only. The Ardhamagadhi Canon of the Svetambaras gives some information about Krsna and his clan and the Pandavas. The Vasudevahindi (not later than A. D. 609) which deals with the wanderings and adventures of Vasudeva, the father of Krsna, gives us only at the beginning a few facts of the story of Harivamsa. In a sense, the earliest complete account of the whole of Harivamsa is to be found in the Cauppannamahapurisacariya of Silanka also known as Silacarya. The work was composed in A. D. 968. It deals with all the great men ('mahapurisa'), later known as 'Salakapurusas' and is a precursor of the later and more famous Trisastisalakapurusacarita of the great Hemacandra (A. D. 1088-1172). Silanka relates the story of Aristanemi, Krsna Vasudeva; Baladeva (and the Pandavas), i.e., the Harivassa of the Jains which is a kind of their counterpart to both the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa of the Vedic Hindus. Silanka relates the story of the Harivamsa in its fully developed form, putting together the numerous incidents and events known from earlier sources. In him we observe that much of Vasudevahindi is briefly referred to, while most of the story of the Pandavas is left out. Maladharin Hemacandra Suri (beginning of the 12th century) wrote his Bhavabhavana with its commentary in A. D. 1113. The first part of the work contains a detailed life of Nemi in 4042 gathas and relates the whole story of the Harivamsa. The great Hemacandra follows Maladharin Hemacandra in his treatment of the narrative but gives more space to the lives of the Pandavas and includes the life of Nala and Damayanti in the Vasudevacarita. In about 1200 A. D. the Maladharin Devaprabha Suri wrote a Pandavacarita in 18 sargas, in which the contents of the 18 Parvas of the Mahabharata are given in a concise form, although remodelled in many of their details. The 6th sarga contains the story of the game of dice and the Nala Episode (Upakhyana)--it is here called "Story of Nala and Kubara", the latter being the name of Nala's brother--is related by Vidura as a warning example. The 16th sarga tells the story of the Jina Aristanemi and the 18th sarga relates how Baladeva attains to heaven and Aristanemi and the Pandavas attain to liberation. In the 15th century Sakalakirti and his pupil Jinadasa wrote their Harivamsa in 39 sargas. Hiralal's Catalogue (pp. 715 f., 760 ff, 768) also mentions Harivamsapurana by Ravisena, Sribhusana Dharmakirti and Ramacandra. These epics are in Sanskrit. Subhacandra wrote his Pandavapurana (also known as Jain Mahabharata) in 1551 A. D. In 1603 A. D.