Universal Values of Prakrit Texts

SR No.: 006701
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Prem Suman Jain
Publisher: Bahubali Prakrit Vidyapeeth and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 368
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 165

Bhagavatī Ārādhanā refers many didactic, legendary, edificatory and ascetic tales in its Prakrit gāthās, which were the source for later-writers of Kathākosas composed in Prakrit, Sanskrit and Apabhraṁsa. Śricandra quotes 39 gāthās of Bhagavatī Ārādhanā and then gives the stories in his Kahākosu. He picks up only those gāthās from Bha... on which the stories are to be illustrated, explains their literal meanings in Sanskrit and then gives short and long tales.
The nineteen stories in the Kannada Text Vaddhārādhane are developed based on nineteen verses (1539-1557) of the Bhagavatī Ārādhanā of Śivakotyācārya or Sivārya. These 19 verses are from the 35th Adhikāra (Chapter) of Bhagavati Ārādhanā. The author of the Vaddhārādhane quotes each Prakrit gāthā in the beginning, explains literally it meaning in Kannada and then begins narrating the story. The thirty nine Prakrit gāthās quoted by Apabhramśa poet Śricandra and 19 Prakrit gāthās quoted by the Kannada author of Vaddhārādhane are basis to find out the original Prakrit reading of the verses of Bhagavatī Ārādhanā and these quoted verses may be treated original source of Saurasenī Prakrit language used in the Bha.Ā. A critical textual edition of the Bha... may be prepared on the basis of these 58 (39+19) Prakrit gāthās. There may be some relation of these 58 gāthās with that Prakrit commentary, mentioned by Asadhara, but unfortunately not found so far.
The thinking of Jaina Tirthankaras and philosophers is beyond the limitations of caste, religion, region and time. They have given us the rules for the welfare and progress of all the living beings. The main problem facing us in this age is that we do not have the right vision of our life. We do not see or understand the wordly things, beings and life style in the way they are. Most of the world's problems are there mainly because of this falseness of our vision. The main contribution of the ancient Prakrit Texts and their writers is that they gave us the right vision to see and understand the world as it is. It is said in the Bhagavati Ārādhanā that
- 123