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testimony, the Astalaksi was blessed by Emperor Akbar while he was camping at Lahore, en route to Kashmir, on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Sravana in V.S. 1649.
The endless interpretation of the brief sentence presupposes the author's profound equipment in Sanskrit grammar and lexicography. Samayasundara was indeed well-versed in both H mentioned the eight lexicons that he had mastered prior to setting himself on the prohibitive task. Queer break up of the sentence, followed by equally startling meanings of the various units thereof has enabled the author to put incredible intepretations on it. The following renderings sufficiently reflect the poet's expertise in the art.
1. रा आजा नो अददत ईसोख्यम् । रा पर्यायेण श्रीः । 'अ: शिवे केशवे वायो' इति विश्वशम्भूवचनाद् अ वायु अति श्रियति
गत भक्ष (य) तीति अवि आज: सर्पस्तंन आ शोभा यस्य स आजाः । श्री (रा) पर्वक: आजा: श्री (रा) आजा:-श्री पार्श्वनाथ:सर्पलाञ्छनात् । स नः अस्माकं ईसोख्यम् अददत । इति चतर्थोऽथी: सर्वे।
2. ला ज । आ नो ददते सोख्यम्।
'ला च लक्ष्मीलमम्बरे' इति विश्वशम्भु- (श्लोक १०४) वचनात् ला लक्ष्मीः । हे ज । हे जेतृपुरुष । आ इति सम्बोधने। न: अस्मभ्यं १ अस्माकं २ वा सोख्यम् असोख्य वा २ ददते । इदं भोगिना योगिनां च वचनम । सर्वे।
3. ऋ-आ-अजा नो ददते असोख्यम् । __ ऋमेषस्तम् आ सामस्त्येन अजन्ति क्षिपन्तीति रत्वे कृते राजा: सिहादयः नः अस्माकम् असांख्य ददते । इदं मृगाणां वचनम् ।।
Some of his shorter works, especially the stotras, also bring out in relief, Samayasundara's equipment in literary gimmicks, not precluding yamaka, slesa and samsyapurti. The stotras are mostly addressed to Parsvanatha, though his devotion to Rsabhadeva and Mahavira, as attested by his other writings is beyond dispute. Quite a few of Samayasundara's stotras are infested with Yamakazu of various hues, while some others have been pressed into service to parade his expertise in handling the slesa. Samayasundara could also not resist the temptation of succumbing to the various bandhas, 22 inherent in the citrakavya, howsoeverodd they may seem in devotional hymns. Whatever their worth as an index to the poet's pedantry, these literary gymnastics combine to turn the stotras into an exercise in artificiality, which otherwise
Samayasundara And His Sanskrit Works
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