________________
DHANANJAYA AND HIS DVISANDHĀNA
Dr. A. N. UPADHYE, Kolhapur
Two distinguished authors, of the name Dhanañjaya, are well known in Sanskrit literature. One is the author of the Daśarūpakal and the other, the author of the Dvisandhana-kavya (DS), also called Rāghavapāndavīya (RP). Traditionally, the Jatter is also the author of two more works, one a Sanskrit lexicon, Nāmamåla or Dhananjaya-nighantu,; and the second, a hymn in Sanskrit, Vişāpahāra-stotra,+ in praise of the Jina, possibly Rşabha. Lately a good deal of fresh evidence has come to light; and it is necessary to take stock of the evidence regarding the DS and the age of Dhananjaya. This, the present article attempts to do.
Dhananjaya and his DS have attracted the attention of eminent Sanskrit scholars since almost the ninteties of the last century. K. B, Pathak, while editing the Terdal Inscription,5 added a casual note that Śrutakirti Traividya, mentioned in that record, is identical with Śrutakirti Traividyadeva referred to by Pampa according to whom he was the author of RP in the gata-pratyāgata style. He identified Dhananjaya with Śrutakirti and assigned him to c. 1123 A. D. He repeated this view rather elaborately in a subsequent paper also.6 R. G. Bhandarkar noticed two Mss. of DS.7 Accepting Dhananjaya as the anthor of the Namamālā as well, he pointed out that DS is quoted in Vardhamāna's Ganaratnamahodadhi (A. D. 1141), Presuming that the RP of Kavirāja was possibly imitated by Dhananjaya, he put both of them between A. D. 996–1141, Dhananjaya being considerably younger than Kavirāja. E. V. Vira
1. Nirņaya Sāgara Press Edition, Bombay, Saka 1819.
2. Nirnaya Sāgara Press, (Kavyamālā. No. 49), Bombay, 1895. A new edition will be soon published by the Bhāratiya Jñānapitha, Varanasi.
3. Bhāratiya Jñānapitha, Benares, 1950. 4. Edn. Kävyamálā No. 7, N. S. Press, Bombay, 1926. 5. Indian Antiquary, 14 (1885), 14–26. 6. The Journal of the BBRAS, 21 (1904) 1-3.
7. Report on the Search of Skt. Mss. in the Bombay Presidency during the years 1884-85, 1885-86, and 1886-87, Bombay, 1894.
३०३
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org