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214
Amrita
mythological persons like Bharata (27-28), Bāhubali, Sanankumāra, Gayasukumāla, Thūlabhadda (33), and many others both historical and legendary. The mothers of the Tīrthankaras and other great women famous in the Jain mythology are enumerated and the whole of the early part of the work is a mere table of names. Then follows a description of the religion of the householders and the monks with its usual vows and other observances. Only at the end we find the Jiva directly addressed and some advice given which would suit the occasion of the work. The tract concludes with the statement that the substance of the preaching of the Jinas is found in the Namokkāra (129).
The style is simple but most of it reads very dry as the major portion of the work is devoted to the enumeration of the names. Only a few show some kind of grace (55) and in one (35) the author tries to make use of the device of alliteration. Much of the matter and even the wording is the common property of the Jain community and there is nothing distinctive about the work. His other work the Upadeśakandali consists of 125 verses and is probably of similar contents. On the whole Asadha appears to be no poet but a mere compiler of ordinary calibre.
Another writer about this time or a little earlier is one Paramānandasūri who is said to be a pupil of Devabhadra. At any rate he is earlier than A. D. 1253 the date of his available Ms. His Prākrit work is called the Hitopadeśāmrta and extends over 525 gāthās. The author himself has written a commentary on it.
At about this time lived Yaśodevasūri who was most probably a pupil of Uddyotanasūri who was a co-student of Municandra. He wrote his Parithasanthiyana or Suyanaryana in A. D. 1232. A writer of the name of Yaśodevasūri but of doubtful date has written a Prākrit didactic work called Dharmopadeśamālā of some hundred gāthās. It is not certain whether he is identical with the previous writer. His work begins with a salutation to the Śrutadevi and gives many illustrations from the annals of the Jain church history.
At the beginning of the fourteenth century lived one Jayakīrti who calls himself a pupil of Jayasimha. Nothing is known about him except that his work is commented upon by one Somatilaka who wrote the Tikā in A. D. 1337 and named it Tarangini. Jayakīrti names his work Silopadeśamālā which is a small tract of 144 verses. It is a glowing praise of Sila or good conduct and its importance in getting the final goal of religion. sila is the source of prosperity both in this as in the next world and with its help alone the sages