History of Rastrakutas of Malkhed and Jainism

SR No.: 006719
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 374
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 141

80/The Raṣṭrakūtas and Jainism
the life of celibacy. He was wedded to greater cause of serving religion and mankind. He had complete mastery in Prakrit and Sankrit. His knowledge of cononical literature was extraordinary and his observation of human nature is out standing. Dimension of his vast reading is evident from the list of galaxy of brilliant scholars that he has recorded: Siddhasena, Samantabhadradeva, Śridatta, Yaśōbhadra, Prabhācandra of Nyāyakumuda-candrodaya, Sivakōṭi of Ārādhanā (Mülārādhana/Bṛhadärādhana/BhagavatiĀrādhanā), Jaṭācārya (Jaṭasimhanandi Varänga-carita), Kāṇabikṣu of Kathālaṁkāra, Bhaṭṭ-Akalanka, Śrīpāla, Pātrakēsari, Vadisimha, Virasena, Jayasena and KaviParamēśvara of Vagartha-samgraha.
4.5.3. In the field of religion, Jinasena was the keyman, head of the Jaina church. In the sphere of literature, he is undoutedly the best of men of letters in the Rāṣṭrakūta empire. He was a gifted scholar of eminence. His creative faculty, pratibhā, was playing the second fiddle, because he chose to write on the theme of spiritual experience. Albeit, at times, his genius raises to greater heights in Adipurāṇa (Pūrvapurāṇa, i.e., early part of Mahāpuräṇa).
4.5.4. Jinasena aspired to compose and complete Trisasti-lakṣaṇa-Purușa-puraṇa (Mahāpurāņa), i.e., biographies of 63 'Great men' in the Jaina mythology. The list of 63 excellent men includes 24 Tirthankaras and their contemporaries, 12 Cakravartins ('rulers of the world'), Baladēvas, Vasudevas and Prativasudevas, the last three are 9 each in number. Trisaṣṭilakṣaṇapurana or caritas, are a favourite subject in Jaina literature. Jinasēna, inspite of his ambition to author the entire Mahapurāņa himself (Purāṇam samgrahiṣyāmi Triṣasti puruṣāśritam), he could compose only Adipurāņa portion, containing 10,380 verses in 42 parvas and 3 ślōkas in the 43rd parva. Gunabhadra, his gifted pupil, continued to complete the epic by composing