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Surasundaricariam: An Introduction
Jaina narrative literature is enormously rich. Particularly the narrative literature of Śvetāmbaras is a veritable storehouse of folk-tales, fairy-tales, beast-fables, parables, illustrative examples, apologues, allegories, legends, novels, funny stories and anecdotes. Apart from a large number of tales and parables and legends found in Jaina canons itself, the Jaina writers/authors have created new stories and legends of their own also. The versatile Jaina monk authors were very practical minded. They exploited the Indian people's inborn love for stories for the propagation of their dharma.
Surasundaricariam (last quarter of the 11th century AD), is a voluminous romantic epic composed in Prakrit by Śrīmad Sadhu Dhanesvara Sūri, pupil of Śrī Jineśvara Sūri author of ' 'Kahāyaṇakośa.' Richer in content, it is an important work of Jaina narrative literature. The whole subject matter of the epic is divided into sixteen chapters (pariccheda). Each chapter contains a story interwoven with some another story which keep retained the interest of the readers.
This is the first time when it's Hindi translation is being published with Gujarati and Sanskrit cchāyā prepared by Parama Pujya Ganivarya Shri Vishrutayash Vijayaji Maharaj, the worthy disciple of Parama Pujya Acharya Pravara Shri Rajayash Surishvarji Maharaj.
We are very grateful to Acharyashri for entrusting this work to us for publication. Śramaņa is presenting this beautiful story for its readers in part. We shall be publishing it in every alternate issue. We have already published chapter 1-8 of Surasundaricariam in our successive issues. Here follows the 10th chapter.
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-The Editor
