Vikram Journal 1974 05 11

SR No.: 523101
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Rammurti Tripathi
Publisher: Vikram University Ujjain
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 200
Language: Hindi, English
Classification: Magazine, India_Vikram Journal, & India
File Size: 11 MB

Page 178

The Vikram Vol. XVIII No. 2 & 4, 1974
THE CONQUEST OF GANDHARVADATTA IN THE VASUDEVAHINDI
Professor J. C. Jain
28, Shivaji Park, Bombay 400028 India
The Vasudevahindi, written by Saighadisaganivacaka, is an important jain work of antiquity written in the archaic Maharashtri Prakrit containing the oldest version of the Jain Ramayana. In his 'Vasudevahindi An Authentic Jain Version of the Brhatkatha' (under print) this author has discussed that this work was composed in the 2nd century A. D. The Vasudevahindi is significant since by adapting the story embodied in Gunadhya's Brhatkatha, it provides us very interesting and characteristic pieces of the lost work in full detail. Here the whole story of Naravahanadatta's adventures described in the Brhatkatha have been put in the mouth of Vasudeva, Krsna's father. In this respect the Vasudevahindi is highly valuable in the reconstruction of the great work of Gunadhya which has been lost to us.
The Sarira, one of six sections (ahigaras) of the work is most important as it contains the wanderings (hindi) of Vasudeva. This section has been divided into 28 lambhas, being the names of the heroines who were married to Vasudeva during the course of his wanderings; of these 28, the 19th and the 20th lambhas are missing The book is incomplete since it has no uvasamhara (the last section), hence there is no final union of the hero and the heroine as in the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva and Brhaikarha manjari of Ksemendra, the two Kashmirian versions of the Brhatkatha.
The Vasudevahindi seems to have been quite popular with the Svetambara Jain authors. Jinabhadragani Ksmasramana in his Visesanavati (composed in 610 A. D.) refers to the Vasudevacariya (-Vasudevahindi). Then Jinadasagani Mahattara in his Avasyaka Curni (600-650 A.D.) mentions the name of the Vasudevahindi and quotes several passages verbatim. Similarly Haribhadra Suri (8th century A. D.) and Malayagiri (12th century A. D.) have quoted the Vasudevahindi in their commentaries of the Avasyaka Sutra. Vadivetala Santisuri (death 1040 A. D.) in his commentary of the Uttaradhyana Sutra follows the Vasudevahindi verbatim without mentioning its name.
The Authenticity of The Vasudevahindi
Before the publication of the Brhatkathaslokasangraha of Budhasvamin, edited by F. Lacote and L. Renou (Paris, 1908-1928) the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva and Brhatkathamanjari of Ksemendra, both belonging to the 11th century A.D. were considered the best extant versions of works deriving their material directly from the lost Brhatkatha. But Lacote after making an exhaustive comparative and critical study of the above-mentioned Kashmirian versions of the Brhatkatha, proclaimed the coherence and consistancy of the Brhatkathaslokasangraha, claiming that as far as the contents of the lost Brhatkatha were concerned, the Brhatkathaslokasangraha, known as the Nepalese version of the Brhatkatha,