Bruhat Katha kosha

Author(s): Harishen Acharya,
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 30

PREFACE
WHILE bringing forth an authentic edition of this important Kathakośa of Harisena (A. D. 931-32), the editor is presenting, in the Introduction, not only a critical study of this valuable Sanskrit text but also an outlinear survey of Jaina Kathanaka literature in the back-ground of Indian literature. The Sramanic ideology occupies a significant position in Indian thought; and it stands specifically for certain principles and practices which are illustrated in the vast amount of narrative tales preserved in Buddhistic and Jaina literature. They embrace all sorts of subjects, including folk-tales and parables, mainly to illustrate the workings of human mind and Karmic ordination under varying conditions of life; in addition, they edify and exhort religio-moral principles, and glorify men of religion and ascetic heroes. A stock of such Kathanakas, as well as of their later elaboration, is taken especially from the different strata of Jaina literature. Many religious texts have afforded opportunities to different authors to load their comment. aries with illustrative stories which were individually enlarged and separately collected later on; and we possess to-day many compilations of Kathanakas which are duly listed and reviewed in the Introduction.
The Bhagavati Aradhana is an important Prakrit text belonging to the pro-canon of the Digambaras and dealing with Jaina monachism. It contains much material which is partly common with the Svetambara canon and the Niryuktis and which antedates the division of Jaina church into Svetămbara and Digambara. It was subjected to both Prakrit and Sanskrit commentaries; and those of Aparajita and Asadhara are carefully examined, along with a critical study of the original Text. Definite limits are put for the age of Aparajita, and a tentative attempt is made to settle the date of the Bhagavati Aradhana. The legendary references contained in its gathās have been duly connected with the various tales found in the Kathakośas of Harişena, Śrīcandra, Prabhācandra and Nemidatta, and in the Kannada Vadḍārādhane. These works are thoroughly and critically studied noting their mutual relation. The section on the Vadḍaradhane, which is a significant prose work in early Kannada literature, clarifies important issues about its authorship and date. It has been shown how the source of these Kathakosas goes back to some Prakrit commentary on the Bhagavati Aradhanā.
Then an exhaustive study of the Kathakośa of Harisena is instituted: its title and contents are discussed; the various strata of the text are analysed; its cultural heritage and literary kinship are scrutinised in the back-ground of Indian culture and literature; social and historical bits of information are put together; its relation with other Kathakośas is examined; the Sanskrit language of the text, especially grammar and vocabulary, is studied in comparison with the material available with respect to Classical Sanskrit ; and lastly, the views of some oriental scholars on the Jaina narrative literature are quoted. The Introduction is concluded with a note on Harişena, the author, his place and date. Thus the Introduction covers a good deal of fresh field. Important texts in different languages have been