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Ancient Jaina Hymns
375
present hymn, which has been discovered only recently in the collection of the Scindia Oriental Institute, is not included therein, so that the follwoing edition supplements that work. A previous reference to the hymn was made in my Gujarati article ‘Kamika Sankheśvara Sāhitya' published in the 'Jaina Satya Prakāśa'116.
The main portion of the hymn consists of prayer for transcendental bliss and eulogy of the Tīrthankara, who is repeatedly identified with certain aspects of Hindu deities, being invoked as 'Visnu', 'Sankara', 'Dhātara', 'Satadhști', 'Kālāri', 'Kștīja', 'Gauriguru', as has been in vogue with Jaina poets ever since the days of Siddhasena Divākara and Samantabhadra. The Jaina reader, familiar with this way of expression, does not find it difficult to grasp the 'Śleșas' and their intended implications, and duly to adapt them to Jaina ideas and ideals.
The Jina's life is not alluded to, except for an isolated reference to Kamatha, the Jina's enemy throughout his last pre-existences, in st. 3.
In st. 9-12, the poet introduces ideas of Tantra-śāstra, sublimated by transcendental-mystic application. Jaina Tantra-śāstra with its direct implications was once a well developed science. It seems to have played a great part in Jaina culture in those early days when and even before the Āgamas were collected, perhaps even previous to Mahāvīra, in the age of Pārsvanātha. Throughout the centuries, it has inspired and influenced works of a number of wellknown poets, such Mānatunga, Hemacandra, Dharmaghoșa, Munisundara and even Yaśovijaya"7.
In st. 9, our poet extolls the magic power of the most popular and ancient of all the Pārsvanātha-mantras, which is generally known as the 'Vişahara-phulinga-' or 'Cintāmaņi-mantra', and which is mentioned in as early piece of Jaina literature as Bhadrabāhu's famous 'Uvasaggahara stotra', assumed to have been composed in the 6th century A.D., if not earlier. '18 Many texts of the subsequent centuries, such as Mānatunga's famous 'Bhayahara
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