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204
Amrita
Prākrit epic called Mallināthacarita in 3 Prastāvas, giving the life of the 19th Jina who is regarded by the “vetāmbaras as a woman, which was due to his deceitful behaviour in his former life. Another work of this author is the Candraprabhacarita in 8000 verses.
At the end of this century, just after the death of King Kumārapāla and his teacher Hemacandra, we find Somaprabha writing two of his big Prākrit works about A. D. 1195. One of it is the Kumārapālapratibodha"3, originally called by the writer Jinadhammappadivoha; a big work giving so many stories as illustrations of the various principles of Jainism. It is divided into 5 Prastāvas. It begins with the description of Gujarat and its capital Anahillapātana, and enumerates in quick succession the various Kings of the Cālukya family founded by Mūlarāja. We then come to Kumārapāla who shows some inclinations towards the problems of religion and its different solutions. His minister informs him of Hemacandra and gives a short account of his birth and monkhood. Then follows the meeting between the King and this illustrious scholar, and the whole work is represented as forming a conversation between them. At the end of each story, the King is shown to accept the particular vow of Jainism, and gives order to be observed throughout his Kingdom.
As Jinavijayaji, the learned editor of this work, has observed, in view of the fact that the present work is written only 11 years after the death of King Kumārapāla, we find little historical information about the times in which the author lived, and the then conditions of Gujarat. The aim of the author is only to give stories and old religious sermons to impress the principles of Jainism on the mind of his readers. The two great personages only form a convenient and attractive background to this aim. The style of the work is fairly simple and smooth. It is written in mixed prose and verse, and many Apabhramśa and Sanskrit stories are found, particularly in the 5th Prastāva. Another Prākrit work of this writer is the Sumatināthacarita, giving the life of the 5th Tirthamkara. It occupies more than 9000 verses, and like his other work contains stories and legends to preach Jain principles.
Interesting is the romance, called Malayasundarikathā, in which an unknown Jain writer has worked many popular and fairy tales. All the usual motives of a fairy tale are to be found in this romance. It describes the love story of prince Mahābala and Malayasundarī, their separation and reunion. It is earlier than the 14th c. A. D. when a Sanskrit epitome of the work was made by Dharmacandra.