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 142

Sanskrit Literature/81
1620 verses in Adipurāņa of 47 parvas, and uttarapuräna, containing 9500 verses. Adipurāņa narrates mainly the story of Rsabha, the first Ford Maker, Bharata, the first ruler of the universe, and Bāhubali, the first Kāmadēva, the god of love in the Jaina tradition.
4.5.4.1. Before a critical assessment of the scope and prominence of Adipurāna, it should be said to the credit of Jinasēna that the greatest teacher had the benifit of Amõghavarşa-I, one of the greatest emperor, being his pupil. Amõghavarşa had his paramount veneration for his teacher Jinasēna. Having joyously prostrated and kneeled before Jinasēna the monarch would congratulate himself: "The king Amõghavarşa remembered himself to have been purified that day, when the lustre of the gems was heightened in consequence of his diadem becoming reddish by the dust pollen of Jinasēna's foot-lotuses appearing in the stream of waterlike lustre, flowing from the collection of the brilliant rays of his nails; - enough - that prosperous Jinasēna with the worshipful and revered feet is the blessing of the world" [Gunabhadra : Uttarapurāņa). Jinasena describes himself in the Pārśvābhyudaya, his earliest poem, as the paramaguru, chief preceptor, of Amõghavarşa. Sañjan plates makes it clear that Amõghavarşa did abdicate the throne, not once, but several times, temporarily as a retreat, to lead the life of an ascetic.
4.5.4.2. As noted earlier, his flaire for religious literature and attachment to Jaina creed was an accalaimed fact. Titles like Dhavala of Govinda, Atisaya-Dhavaļa of Amõghavarşa possess an aureola of Jaina lustre, since the connotation of this biruda has an historical background. It was during the reign of Govinda that svāmi, Virāsēna commenced composing Dhavală, ‘Luminous' commentary of 72,000 slökas on Șatkhandāgama, the primordial canonical text of Jaina surrogate and completed in the times of Amõghavarsa,