Kumarpal Pratibodh

SR No.: 001873
Original Sutra Author: Somprabhacharya
Author: Jinvijay
Publisher: Central Library
Publication Year: 1920
Total Pages: 564
Language: Prakrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Story, & Literature
File Size: 11 MB

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leaves from 51 to 305 (even of these some leaves are wanting here and there) and thus ended abruptly from the middle of the story of Pavananjaya on "Deshávakásika' vow given in the 4th chapter of the present work. In size it was 2 ft, 7 inches long and 2 inches broad and contained 3 to 5 lines on each page and each line contained from 105 to 120 letters.
Difficulty in Editing-Thus, since no other complete Ms. was available from any source and none is available as far as I know, I had to depend on the only one complete Ms. mentioned above; and as this was full of mistakes my work of editing this work became all the more difficult.
Account of Somaprabháchárya, the author of "Kumárpála-pratibodha":--The author, Somaprabháchárya, is a well-known Jain learned man. He composed the present work in Samvat 1241 (or A.D. 1195), i. e. only 11 years after the death of King Kumárapála. From this it is evident that he was a contemporary of King Kumarapala and his preceptor Hemachandra. He composed this work while dwelling in the residence of the poet Siddhapála, son of the poet-king Shree Shreepála, of Prágvát (Porwad) community, for the benefit of Harischandra and Shreedevi, son and daughter respectively of Shet Abhayakumára, son of Neminága; and it was heard from the
inning to the end by the three learned disciples of Hemachandra himself. by name, Mahendramuni, Wardhamana and Gunichandra. Abhayakumara was, as is mentioned in this very work, the head of the charitable departments, like alms-houses, etc., opened for the maintenance of helpless and disabled persons (vide pp. 219 to 220). The poet-king Shree Shreepala was one of the best poets of Gujarat and a greatly honoured and accepted brother of Siddharája Jayasimhadeva. His son, Siddhapala, also, was a poet of the first rank and a beloved and boson friend of King Kumarapála. In connec. tion with the family of this poet as I have written at great length elsewhere, I need not reiterate the same in this place. The poet Shreepala was a disciple of Devasûri, the most illustrious in the lineage of preceptors of Somaprabháchárya; hence it was but natural that this poet's family should entertain a special veneration for the circle of disciples of this earliest preceptor and that this circle of sages should regard with affection the poet's family. The preceptors of Somaprabháchárya and other sages generally made their stay under the roof of the family house of this poet in Auahilpur, His other great work, by name "Sumatinátha-charita'', was also composed liy Somaprabhacharya while dwelling in this very house.
The following is the genealogical-tree of the lineal succession of the preceptors of Somaprabháchárya, as found in the Prashasti in the Kumara pala-Pratibodha and some other works of different writers ;
1 See my Introduction to the drama "Draupadi-Swayamvara", composed by the poet Vijayapála, son of Siddhapála.-Editor.