Kahavali Pratham Paricched Pratham Khand

SR No.: 009889
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kalyankirtivijay
Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2012
Total Pages: 469
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 2 MB

Page 12

XII
and Viyahapannatti are also not deprived of stories or facts about the lives of Tirthamkaras and others. Moreover, one of the four types of the interpretation of the Canonical texts is kathanuyoga. It is thus but natural that a vast narrative literature was produced by the Jaina authors.
As far as the K is concerned, it is an important narrative work, for it is the very first book which gives the lives of all the 24 Tirthamkaras of the present avasarpiņi, those of the future Tirthamkaras, of the Cakra-vartins, the Baladevas, the Vasudevas, some of the Naradas and also of the great Jaina preceptors up to Haribhadra. Bhadreśvara's plan was to narrate the biographies of great men up to his own time, but unfortunately he could not finish it. It can be said that his work became the model for the later prabandha literature which began in the later part of the twelfth century.
Bhadresvara is not an original writer. He compiles his K from various sources. This can be established by the fact that the life of Rsabha has its source in the Vasudevahindi and the Avasyakacurni. The life of Mahavira is also from the same, as well as from most of the stories found in the canonical literature, which Bhadresvara is the first author to use. Curni and Titthogalia are the sources for the stories about the reduction of the canonical literature, Mahānisiha is the source for stories regarding worship of the Jinas and such other ceremonials.
K is indeed a type of << Universal History »>, but it has its own style of narration. Bhadresvara is certainly interested in narrating the «< Universal History», but to add to its lustre he has included many attractive imaginative stories as examples or illustrations, just as the Tarangaval story and such others. Their main source may be Gunadhya's Bṛhatkatha and other works dependant on it. For his narration of Rāmāyaṇa and Harivamsa (Mahabharata), the sources are Vasudevahindi and Paumacaria, and such other Jain Purāņas. I could not compare Jinasena's Mahapurana and other such works with K, but the common sources for such a text must be Tiloyapannatti, Avasyakaniryukti and Titthogalia, etc.
It seems that Bhadresvara had previously written the « Ramayana », « Tarangavai », « Bandhudattacaria » and « Harivamsa » which he later included in K: at the end of these stories in K, he concludes:
evam ca Rama-Ramaṇa-siya-cariehim parisamattehim Rāmāyaṇam samattam Bhaddesarasuri-ralyam ti". evam ca parisamatte carie baladeva-vāsudevānam Harivamso vi samatto Bhaddesarasuri-raio tti 13
iyam Bandhudatta-cariam Bhaddesarasiri-raiyam ti
evam ca Kuniodayana rajja-kala-bbhava Tarangavai visa... mai kahā rammā bhadda Bhaddesarasuri-raiya tti 15.
For Tarangavai the main source was Padalipta (see under 218). According to Dr. Bhayani, many gāthās have been included here as they were in Padalipta's Kahā. So also must be the case with Ramayana, Harivansa and such other stories, as in those days plagiary was not regarded as a vice. In these matters, originality was not considered as a great virtue, and authors were interested in narrating such things which would help the readers to enlighten their moral life. Their purpose was not to get any economical gain for themselves.
12. K vol. I, leaf no. 177. 14. K vol. II, leaf no. 39.
13. Ibid., leaf no. 281.
15. Ibid., leaf no. 200.