________________
(vii)
आसीच्चन्द्रमतिर्यशोधरनृपस्तस्यास्तनूजोऽभवत्, तौ चण्ड्याः कृतपिष्टकुक्कुटबलीक्ष्वेडप्रयोगान्मृतौ। श्वा केकी पवनाशनश्च पृषतः ग्राहस्तिमिश्छागिका, भर्तास्यास्तनयश्च गर्वरपतिर्जातौ पुनः कुक्कुटौ॥
The Yasodharacaritam was first composed by Prabhañjana who has been mentioned by Udyotanasūri in his Kuvalayamālā (p. 3.31). Haribhadrasūri may be the first Acārya who utilized the story of Yaśodhara in bis Samarāiccakahā. Then other names may be mentioned such as Somadeva (Yaśastilakacampū), Puspadanta (Jasaharacariu), Vādirāja (Yaśodharacarita). Harişena, Vāsavasena (Yasodharacarita), Sakalakirti, Somakirti, Mānikyasūri, Padmanābha, Pūrnabhadra and so many Acāryas who composed their works on the story of Yasodhara in Sanskrit, Prākrit, Apabhramsa, Hindi, Marāțhi and Gujarāti.
The present Yasodharacarita is divided into eight chapters containing 932 verses. Its author Bhattāraka Sakalakirti was born in Sam. 1443 (1386 A.D.) at Anahilapur Pațțana in the Humbadjāti. He was married at the age of 14 and was ordained at the age of 18. He tlfen stayed for about eight years at Nenavan and acquired the knowledge of Sanskrit and Prakrit. He was afterwards engaged in propagation of Jainism from
1477 to 1499. He established the Bhattāraka seat at Gāliyakoța (Bāgad region) and connected himself with the Sarasvatigaccha' and Balātkāragana: His disciples were Vimalendrakirti, Dharmakīrti, Brahmajipadāsa. Bhuvanakirti and Lalitakirti. He is an author of about thirty Kāvyas in Sanskrit and eight Kāvyas in Rājasthānii, such as sāntināthacarita, Vardhamānacarita, Mallināthacarita, Yasodharacarita, Dhanyakumāracarita, Sukumālacarita. Sudarśanacarita, Jambuswāmicarita, Sripālacarita, Adipurāņa, Uttarāpurana, Pārsvanāthapurāna, Purāņasārasamgraha, Mūlācārapradipa, Samādhimaranotsähadipīkā, Siddhāntasāradspikā, Sūktimuktāvali, Vrahatkathākośa etc.
The Yasodharacarita is composed in Sanskrit and divided into eight chapters with 960 verses. It is Mahākāvya with Sāntarasa. Its language is very simple and sometimes does not