Ancient Jaina Hymns

Author(s): Charlotte Krause
Publisher: Oriental Institute

Page 40

ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS H. D. Velankar's "Jinaratnakosa”, will have become available in print'.
Only thus much may be mentioned that none of all the above post-canonical works follows the Samavāyānga-sūtra in including, in the list of pre-existence names, that of "Sihagiri”, the only pre-existence name of Munisuvrata which that Sūtra, and for the natter oi that the canon, happens to mention”.
The stanza of our hymn following this biographical sketch (st. 16), extolls some of the stereotyped merits inherent in a Tīrthankara's preaching.
The next stanzas contain a very compressed summary of the legends of "Aśvāvabodha-tartha" and “Sakunikā-vihāra" (st. 17-21). This time-honoured place of pilgrimage of Munisuvrata at Broach is frequently mentioned in Jaina literature, and, though no longer existing as such, still reverently remembered. The very Avasyaka liturgy of the Svetāmbaras contains a reference to it in the much recited passage :
"Jayau..........Bharuacchahim Muộisuvvaya !”, i, e., “At Broach, Munisuvrata ('s image) be victorious !"
These are words of the “Jagacintāmaņi-caityavandana"3, which is believed to go back to the Lord Gautama Indrabhūti, Mahāvīra's direct disciple, and
(1) A modern "Munisuvratasvāmi Caritra" in Gujarati, by M. T. Jhaveri, Thana, V. S. 1998, written with a devotional outlook, does not make attempts in that direction, though it contains come bibliographical hints.
(2) Sūtra 157, st. 13 (p. 151 a): in the case of other Tirtbankaras too, the generally followed tradition does not agree with this Sūtra regarding the pre-existence names.
(3) "Pañca-Pratikramana-Sutra", Jaina Ātmananda Sabha, Bhavnagar, V.S. 1992, p. 26 ff.
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