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 542

524 STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE Indumati as its example. This work, however, is not extant. Both these types of katha are known to be written in Prakrit only. The Ullapakatha deals with a voyage or love between a young man and a young woman which demands adventures on their part. The parihasakatha is 'an amusing story The samkirnakatha is one which is distinguished by the characteristics of all the types of katha, which is charming with its erotic sentiment, which has its various constituent parts well-knit and which delights (the readers) with the display of knowledge of various arts. Uddyotanasuri declares that this samkirnakatha is threefold : 1. dharmakatha, 2. arthakatha and 3. kamakatha. The samkirnakatha is marked by all distinguishing features and, shows at the end the attainment of all the three ends of human life (trivarga : dharma, artha and kama). It deserves notice that as against the Dasavaikalika-niryukti which gives all the four dharma-katha, etc., as the four types of katha, the Kuvalayamala gives the three dharma-artha and kama-kathas as the three kinds of the samkirnakatha 12. Like Haribhadrasuri Uddyotansuri too gives the four sub-types or sub-varieties of the dharmakatha and briefly yet lucidly explains them. Tatra akkhevani mano'nukula, vikkhevani manopadikula, samveyajanani nanuppattikaranam, nivveyajanani puna veragguppatti "Of the four varieties, the first uksepani is pleasant or agreeable to the mind, the second viksepani, unpleasant or disagreeable to the mind, the third samvegajanani is the mother of, that is, the source or cause of right knowledge and the fourth nirvedajanani is the mother of that is, the cause of vairagya, indifference to worldly objects and to life. (B) Katha and its Varieties as given in Sanskrit Works on Poetics. We are not here interested in the main literary forms--akhyayika (Biography, e.g. Bana's Harsacarita), katha (Novel, e.g., Bana's Kadambari and campu (a literary composition in mixed prose and verse, e.g., Trivikrama Bhatta's nalacampu) but katha (short story) used in the general sense. Hence it would be proper for us to leave out of consideration here the great Brhatkatha of Gunadhya. Bhoja in his Songaraprakasa (Chapter Eleven) and Hemacandra, following Bhoja almost word for word, in his Kavyanusasana speak of the following sub-varieties of katha.