________________
II
THE AUTHOR OF RATNA MANJUŞĀ, AND THE BINOMIAL
EXPANSION Ratna Mañ jüşā
Ratna Mañjūşa is a well-known work on Sanskrit prosody. The name and personal history of its author are wholly unknown to us. Just like Pingala's Chandah Sūtra, the work consists of sūtras and contains 8 chapters. The treatment of the subject also shows great similarity with and influence of Pingala's work. The Author
The commentator bas referred to the author on three or four occasions, but in no place do s he mention his name or his religious profession. In all probability, the commentator of the work was a Jain writer. Moreover, some of the metres defined in them are known only to Acārya Hemacandra and not to Pingala and Kedāra. These facts make it almost certain that the author of the work was very likely a Jain writer.
The Commentator
The name of the commentator of the work is also unknown. However, from the introductory stanza, it is clear that he was also a Jain writer.
Time of Composition of the work and its Commentary The Ratna Manjūsā
Velankara, H. D., has given two lists of old and important treatises of Sanskrit metres arranged in an approximately chronological order. In both these lists, the Ratna Manjuşa has been placed earlier than Svayam. bbūchandas of Svayambhu and Vțitaratnākara of Kedara. Under the circumstances the time of composition of the work may be assigned a date near about 800 A. D.
1.
2.
Velankar, H. D. : Sabbāşya Ratna Manjūsā ( --Rm.), Bhārtiya Jñānapitha, Varanasi, 1944. Ref. p. 1. The text is, यो भूतभव्यभवदर्थयथार्थवेदी
देवासुरेन्द्रमुकुटाचितपादपद्मः । विद्यानदीप्रभवपर्नत एक एव तं
क्षीणकल्मषगणं प्रणमामि वीरम् ।।
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
