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POPULAR SPORTS AND PASTIMES IN 12TH CENTURY GUJARAT AS
DEPICTED IN THE CANDAPPAHACARIYA
Salont N. Joshi
References to sports and means of entertainment are found in abundance in ancient Jaina texts The royal households included a vanety of sportsmen such as acrobats (nada) dancers (nattaga), wrestlers (malla), boxers (muttthiya), Jesters (velambiya), reciters (kahaga), storytellers (akkhayaga), ropedancers (alla), jumpers (pavaga), rāsa singers (läsaka), pole dancers (lamkha) etc References to these are found in the Rajapraśntyasutra! Aupapātikasūtra? Detailed description of these sports and means of entertaining are found in the Candappahacarıyam composed in Prakrit by Haribhadra of (12th century AD) This work is yet unpublished and a palmleaf manuscript is available in Hemacandrācārya Jain Inānabhandāra at Patan? It describes the life of Candraprabhasvāmi—the ninth Tīrthankara of the Jainas along with his six previous births in his fifth previous birth he was Ajitsenacakravartî in the narration of whose life story we find detailed and beautiful description of Udyānakrīdā
It was the end of winter and the beginning of autumn Here the author gives a detailed description of nature (V 2868-2881) Ajitsena pleads with his beloved to visit nagaraudyāna to observe and enjoy the beauty of autumn He announced that the citizens my join hım His subjects happily join the king Here the poet describes the beauty of Vanaśrı and of Kandukakrīdā, Puspacayanakrīdā Dolākridā, music dance, and drama (vs No 2917-2951) performed by the citizens for their own entertainment The king was very happy to see his people enjoying themselves
Then he occupies his seat on Kridagiri made of crystal Players commenced their performances to please the King This description of entire performance of various sports is very lively and picturesque Sometimes the author uses Apabhramśa language to make this picture more effective It is very rare and elaborate description of different kind of sports at one place such as nada, natta, jalla, malla, velambaga, kahaga, lamkha, indajālıya Let us see in detail how this work narrates the different kind of sports
| SR No. | 520772 |
| Book Title | Sambodhi 1998 Vol 22 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Jitendra B Shah, N M Kansara |
| Publisher | L D Indology Ahmedabad |
| Publication Year | 1998 |
| Total Pages | 279 |
| Language | English, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Gujarati |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Sambodhi, & India |
| File Size | 8 MB |