Akhyanakmanikosha

Author(s): Nemichandrasuri, Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Vasudev S Agarwal
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 57

Dharmakathā literature
order. Another importent story-work of this age is the Kathākoşaprakarana (KKP.) of Jineśvarasüri, published in the Singhi Jaina Granthamālă, no. 11. The KKP. was composed in V. S. 1108 (1052 A. D.)
A third noteworthy work is the Kahārayaņakoso (KRK) of Sri Devabhadrasūri, edited by Muni Shri Punyavijayaji, the learned editor of this AMKV. The KRK, was composed in Vikrama Samvat 1158, i. e. 1102 A. D.
A large number of texts of this Dharmakathā literature were composed in the Svetāmbara and Digambara traditions, especially, the available number of Svetämbara story-works is much bigger. As shown above, some of these stories have as their basis, shorter notices and accounts in Jaina canonical literature itself, including the Niryuktis, Bhäşyas, Cūrnis and Vịttis. A very good account of Digambara works is given by Dr. A. N. Upadhye in his Introduction to his edition of BỊhat-Kathākosa of Harişeņa, published in Singhi Jaina Granthamala. The number of Svetămbara Jaina texts is fairly large as can be seen from a reference to Jaina Granthāvali and the Jinaratnakośa (ed. by Prof. H. D. Velankar) or the Catalogue of Palm-leaf mss. in the Bhandaras at Pätan (G. O. Series ), or the different volumes of Peterson's reports, etc. A number of such notices will be available in the Jaina Sāhitya no Samkşipta Itihāsa written by the late Shri M. D. Desai.
Some of the Jaina Kathas have their origin in the Jaina Anga texts. Incidents from the life of Mahavira are available in the Ācārānga, the Kalpasūtra, the Bhagavatisütra etc. Of the various Jaina canonical texts, especially noteworthy are the Uttaradhyayanasütra, the Näyädhammakahão. the Uvāsagadasão, the Antagada-Anuttarovavāiya-dasão, the Niryāvaliyao and the Vivågasuyam, for the wealth of Kathas they contain. Some of the accounts, of Jaina Jaymen and women (sråvakäs and Śtävikäs ), of Jaina monks and nuns and of some kings and queens, who are referred to as centmporaries of Mahavira, do contain much that is based on real facts; some of the persons are not merely legendary, for example, references to Cetaka, to Pradyota of Ujjayini, to king Sreņika of Rajagrha, to Satānika, to Udayana the famous lyrist and lover of Kauśämbi, to Uddāyana of Vitabhayapattana, are of great interest for a historian. The story of Kuņāla, the son of Asoka, and of Samprati, the grandson of Asoka, available in Bệhatkalpabhāsya throws some interesting light on Samprati and Kuņāla and may be regarded to have been based upon historical facts. There seems to be much truth in Samprati being a patron af Jainism and having helped the Jaina monks going to Dakişpåpatha (South India ).
But it is indeed not an easy task to find out how much is historical and how much is legendary in any given Kathì. Sometimes when it refers to persons who were contemporary of Buddha and Mahävira we obtain references to them in both the Jaina and Buddhist literatures in which case a comparative study helps us a good deal in our judgements.
But generally we come across a good number of legendary tales which are illustrative of the good or bad results accruing from the practice of virtues and vices. The characters in such stories are often shown to have attained happiness in this world, or in celestial regions and even obtained liberation by following the principles preached by Mahavira, Pārsvanātha, Neminatha or monks of their orders. Followers of beretical faiths are cleverly underrated and are shown to undergo suffering or to have been converted to the Jaina faith. A very persistent feature of these Dharmakathās of Jaina literature is the use of the motif of Jātismarana, i. e. remembrance of one's good or bad actions in the past life or lives whereby a person obtains solution of the happiness or misery experienced in this life and whereupon one follows the Jaina faith with reinforced faith. Too much use of this supernatural element sometimes mars the value of these often very beautiful literary compositions, our AMKV. being one of them,
1. Kabärayapakoso, ed. by Muni Punyavijaya, published in Sri Atmananda Jaina Granthamala, Bhavnagar (1944 A. D.)