Chaupannamahapurischariyam

Author(s): Shilankacharya, Amrutlal Bhojak, Dalsukh Malvania, Vasudev S Agarwal
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 33

18 ] SC AS A SOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF THE UH
(9 18transformation taken place on such a vast scale as in the UH of the Jains. The change took however place by degrees, and it is therefore only natural that Hemacandra who was later in time and more systematic in his approach than Silanka presents the UH in a more regular form. As opposed to Šilānka he never omits the previous existences and always places them at the beginning. He avoids the practice of starting with the later part of the story and supplying the first part subsequently in the form of a relation by one of the heroes (SC/M pp. 133 f.). Figures who owe their existence to the exigencies of the system but who do not belong originally to the stories as such have been brought into relief, while they were neglected by Silānka and others (the Baladeva Acala in the Triprsthacarita ; Srişena in the story of Santi's first previous existence : SC/M p. 77, 1. 7 ff. ). . Hemacandra's account of eyen the least important mahāpuruşas is fairly detailed, whereas Silārka neglects the typical subjectmatter even in the case of the important mahāpuruşas : he describes the janmābhişeka of Rşabha in full detail but says nothing about the funeral rites; in the case of Ariştanemi, Silanka gives a description of the funeral rites but omits the janma-kalyana (puvvakkamena savuani jammanamahimai hoi datthavvam, SC/E p. 183, verse 53). The unsystematic treatment found in SC is certainly to some extent the result of Silānka's lack of method. At the same time it is fairly certain that his irregular version is somewhat nearer to the prototype than the highly regularized version of Hemacandra.
Silānka's psychological approach makes itself felt as a tendency to describe in a very detailed manner the reaction of the individual to his experiences and to preface the decisions of the heroes with lengthy deliberations and exhortations. Some examples of such psychological innovations have been listed in the foot-note8 ). The fabric of the drama and of the three vairāgya-stories reveals also the psychological interest of the author.
HTr as well as SC contain a few passages (stories etc.) which are not found in the other version(s). The subject matter recorded in SC but missing in HTr etc. has been listed in $ 7. Stories which could not be traced outside HTr (at least not in the same context ) have been collected in the foot-note, In the first case, the very character of the pieces shows that they derive from an old source; probably they formed part of the UH long before Silārka wrote his work. The stories peculiar to HTr were also not invented by Hemacandra. Nor is it likely that he was the first author who used them in their present context. Hemacandra's presentation of the UH is exhaustive, but it seems that he was reluctant to include any matter which was not by tradition connected with it. Such extensions are mostly found in the works of later authors who selected certain caritas from the UH and used them as a framework for a collection of stories.
Unoriginal (or secondary) features (e.g. illogical arrangement of the events ) may also be inherited from some immediate predecessor. Examples of unoriginal features have been listed in the foot-notelo). 8. Mababala renounces the world voluntarily, not under the compulsion of a prophecy : SC/M p. 52, 1. 25 ff.-Marudevi's
and Nábbi's reflexions on the new-born child Rsabha : SC/M p. 54, 1. 4 ff.Bharata urged by Suşeņa to start for the digvijaya : SC/M p. 55, 1. 16. f.-Bharata collects information from Subuddhi about Bahubalin's disobediance : SC/M p. 56, 1. 17 ff.-Brahmi and Sundari ask Rşabha out of compassion the reason for Bahubalin's unsuccessful penance : SC/E p. 48. 1. 20 #. Rşabba sends Brahmi and Sundari on his own account to Bahubalin : HTI I 5.779 ff.-Varunavarman urged by his brother-in-law Mitravarman to liberate his wife : $ 24.-Conversation between Krona and Balarama about Nemi's Teluctance to marry : SC/M p. 86, 1. 25 ff.-Silänka's version is nowhere supported by Jinasena's Adipuräna or Gunabhadra's
Uttarapurāpa. 9. The temple built by the six friends : SC/M p. 53, 1. 12.-Sagara obtains the striratna : SC/M p. 58. 1. 26 ff.-Stories told
by Subuddhi and Vacaspati : SC/M p. 61, 1. 35 ff.-Countries conquered by Brahmadatta : SC/M p. 94, l. 37 f. ; see also the following stories (1. 38 ff.) which recur in a different context.-Kurucandra-story: SC/M p. 76, 1. 46: the story is
also missing in the Santi-carita of Dutt., Three stories in the Pärsva-carita (HTr IX 4) : SC/M p. 95, last paragraph. 10. The following examples are all taken from the Rşabha-carita. Vimalavāhana : SCAM p. 47, l. 37 ff.-Description of the
cosmology and chronology : SC/M p. 47, 1. 16 ff.-Rşabha's kevalajñana : SC/M p. 55, 1. 1 ff.-Marici : SC/M p. 56, 1. 33 ff.Bharata's vairagya : SC/M p. 56, 1. 44 ff. (the unoriginal feature is always found in HTr, only in the last case in SC).