Page Text
________________
184
RELIGION & CULTURE OF THE JAINS
About another Jaina master, Somadeva (circa 950 A.D.), Professor K.K. Handiqui writes: "He is one of the most versatile telents in the history of Indian literature, and his masterpiece Yaśas-tilaka reveals the manifold aspects of his genius. He is a master of prose and verse, a profound scholar with a wellstocked memory, an authority on Jaina dogma, and a critic of contemporary philosophical systems. He is a close student of the art of government, and in this respect his Yasas-tilaka and Nīti-vākyāmýta supplement each other. He is a redactor of ancient folk tale and religious stories and at times shows himself an adept in dramatic dialogue. Last but not least, he is a keen observer of men and manners. The position of Somadeva is indeed, unique in Sanskrit literature." His monumental work, the Yaśas-tilaka, is the best example of the campū form in which prose and poetry are mixed, and it has been admitted by scholars that “the prose of Yaśas-tilaka vies with that of Bāņa, and the poetry at places with that of Māgha”, while Peterson says, “The Yaśas-tilaka is in itself a work of true poetical merit, which nothing but the bitterness of theological hatred would have excluded so long from the list of the classics of India.” It is about this very author that Dr. Winternitz writes, “Much bloodshed would have been avoided and Europe would have been spared infinite misery, if during the last years Somadeva's wise rule had always been followed "Military authorities should not be authorities in (political) counsels.” The great Hemacandra (12th century A.D.) was, perhaps, even more versatile and certainly a more prodigious writer who tried his hand with equal skill at a number of subjects and in different languages. There have been numerous other Jaina luminaries of the first grade, like Samantabhadra, Sidhasena, Pujyapada, Ravisena. Dhnañjaya, Mānatunga, Siddharși, Dhanapāla, Vīranandin, Amitagati, Vādirāja, Harişeņa, Vägbhața, Vädībha-simha,
| SR No. | 002009 |
| Book Title | Religion and Culture of the Jains |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jyoti Prasad Jain |
| Publisher | Bharatiya Gyanpith |
| Publication Year | 1999 |
| Total Pages | 258 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Religion, & Culture |
| File Size | 16 MB |