Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

SR No.: 007699
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan
Publication Year: 2014
Total Pages: 257
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 1 MB

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The author is more interested in documenting the story of Bhadrabāhu and Samprati (also called Candragupta II).
Raidhū, the Apabhraíśa poet follows Rāmacandra and adds the description of the kings called Kalkis to this narrative. [10] The Ārādhanā-kathā-prabandha (Ārādhanā-kathā-kośa) of Prabhācandra is a Sanskrit text pertaining to the 13th century A.D.
As the name suggests, the whole book is written to explain the stories noted in the Bhagavati Ārādhanā, in a very compact form.
The 80th story of this text, documents the Cāņakya-Subandhu episode in a very focussed manner and ascribes 'prāyopagata' death to Cāņakya. This story is written on the lines of Harişeņa. The only difference is, it is written in prose-form in Sanskrit. Kavi is invariably mentioned as Kāvi. Kāvi spotted Cāņakya to fulfil his purpose to retaliate against the king Nanda. Like Harişeņa, the author has not disclosed the name of Candragupta. Cāņakya himself killed Nanda and enjoyed the kingdom for a long period.
In the Bhagavatī Ārādhanā, it is told that Subandhu killed Cāņakya. In the narratives of Harişeņa, Śrīcandra and Prabhācandra, it is Subandhu who sets fire to five hundred monks along with Cāņakya. Prabhācandra exaggerates further and says, “All of them attain Siddhi (i.e. liberation).'
One more story about Cāņakya is found in the Ārādhanākathā-prabandha in the context of the rareness of the human birth. He starts the subject with the following words
GH tasail 404054 90.21 (p.262) The ten allegorical stories are famous in the Svetāmbara literature. The pāśaka-dịştānta is always explained by quoting the narrative of Cāņakya. Prabhācandra explains the drstānta in the same
manner but the name of Cānakya is replaced by a brahmin called