Descriptive Catalogue of Govt Collections of Manuscripts Part 1 Hymnology

SR No.: 018037
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 402
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue & Catalogue
File Size: 14 MB

Page 23

Preface
C
compared with the Prakrit hymns. Amongst the latter ones, those composed in Jaiņa Marahatthi (Jaina Māhārāṣṭrī) preponderate. The Apabhramsa' poems so far known form a small group. There are some poems (e. g. No. 196) where one and all the Prakrit languages named in Sanskrit as Mahārāṣṭri, Sauraseni, Magadhi, Paiśăci, Culika-Paiśāci and Apabhramsa are employed. They have ordinarily one verse composed in each of these languages.
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There are several Jaina hymns which are charming both from the stand-point of matter and its presentation, and they highly reflect the great command of the Jaina savants over the classical languages of northen India of olden days.
It may be mentioned en passant that there seems to be no Jaina hymn even partially composed in Pali. A similar remark holds good in the case of hymns entirely written in any of the following languages :--
Magahi (Magadhi), Pesãi Paiśāci and Culiya-Pesǎi ( CúlikǎPaiśăci.
The field of the Digambara literature is not much explored. So judging from the available material and barring the hhattis, I do not think that we have perfectly Soraseņi ( Śauraseni) hymns of sufficient length.
The Jaina writers have written a number of hymns enriched by various kinds of yamakas. Several of them can very well vie with the corresponding Sanskrit hymns of the non-Jaina writers, and some can even excel them. The same thing may be said about hymns which can serve as illustrations of poems embellished by the figure of speech known as citra. Some of them supply us with sakara-citras (letter-diagrams) such as a wheel, a sword, a drum, etc. Perhaps it is no exaggeration if I were to say that the Jaina hymns represent all the varieties and that, too, splendidly, of the
1 For illustrations the reader may refer to my Sanskrit introduction (pp. 1-12) to Sobhana Muni's Stuticaturviṁsatikā,
2 For" gupta-kriya" see No. 154.
3 About 85 varieties of akara-citra along with sub-varieties in several cases have been expounded by me with about 300 illustrative verses in Sanskrit in my article "Illustrations of Letter-diagrams " published in three instalments with 71 diagrams (some iwo-coloured) in the "Journal of the University of Bombay" (Arts Number, Nos. 29-3!).