Jain Siddhant Bhaskar

SR No.: 529551
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Siddhant Bhavan
Publisher: Jain Siddhant Bhavan
Total Pages: 417
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Siddhant Bhaskar, & India
File Size: 10 MB

Page 96

No. I. )
NAYAKUMARACARIU.
ii
NAYAKUMARACARIU. An Apabhramsa work of the 19th century. (By Prof. Hîrā Lāl Jain, M.A., LL. B.)
1. DISCOVERY OF THE WORK. It was in the year 1924 that I first discovered the NAYAKUMARA CARIU of Puspadanta from the manuscript stores at Karanja in Berar The notes that I made on that occasion were included in the Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts in C. P. and Berar, published by the Local Government in 1926. The Apabhramsa works discovered there proved very interesting and I contributed an article on " Apabhramsa Literature" to the Allahabad University Studies Vol. I and determined the date of Puspadanta who was the chief of the authors, first in the notes contributed to the Catalogue and then in an article contributed to the Hindi Quarterly " Jain Sahitya Samsodhak" Vol. II.
2. THE AUTHOR The author of the work is Pupphayanta-SK. Puspadanta. Of this author three works have so far come to light - Mahapurana or Tisatthipurisa-gunalamkara in 102 chapters, Jasaharacariu in 4 chapters and Nayakumaraccriu in 9 chapters. From these works the following information about the poet can be gathered :
1. Puspudanta was the son of Kesava Bhatta and Mugdhadevi Brahmins of Kasyapa Gotra.
2. He travelled to Manyakheta from somewhere and was patronised by Bharata and later by his son Nanna both ministers of Kronaraja alias Vallabharja who may be identified with Krsnaraja III of the Rastrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta.
3. He began his Mahapurana in Siddhartha Samvatsara and completed it in Krodhana Samvatsara on A sadha Sukla 10 which is found to correspond with Sunday, the 11th June, 965 A.D.
4. He describes himself as tender in costitution and ugly in appearance, homeless, dressed in rags and barks, bathing in rivers and pools and sleeping on bare ground. Never-the-less, he was equanimous towards the rich and the poor and friendly to all. He had a high sense of self-respect and was excessively fond of poetry for which he earned the titles of Ahimana-meru, and Kavva-pisalla. 5. He mentions the following three historical events of his time :
(i) The king of Manyakheta, here called Tudigu, killed the