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328
v. 3, Appendix 17 area. etc. and etc. and that in the 15th line of the hymn in Appendix 18 is
à l'
APPENDIX 20
INTRODUCTION
The author of the hymn contained in this appendix is Vastupāla the famous minister of Viradhavala. The author styles himself in v. 10 a poet, the minister of the sovereign of Gujarat and the ocean of learning or Sarasvati. He addresses Sri Ambikā as Kūṣmaṇdī, Ambā, and Sarasvati. The former term has already been explained. He describes Ambika as always prompt in the protection of the Jain fold. The author in a poetic fancy says that Lakṣmi who resides in lotus would never leave the devotee who bears in his heart the lotusfeet of Sri Ambika, being fond of the advantageous and novel lotusabode in the form of Sri Ambika's feet. Ambika's Vahana the lion. is also praised. She is said to be holding a bunch of mangoes before her as a token of the fruit to be reaped immediately by her worship. In the 7th verse are mentioned the eight dangers which are warded off by Sri Ambikā. The author compares the hymn to a song to be sung in a circular dance. According to Rajasekhara's Çaturvimsatiprabandha Sri Ambika and Sri Kapardiyakṣa* were the patron-deities of Vastupala and Tejapāla.
Vastupala was not only a great minister but also a great general and defeated King Sankha of Lata when the latter invaded Cambay as also the Muhammedan chieftain named Hammira alias Mojdin Sultan, who may perhaps be identified with Mahomed Ghori, near Mt. Abu. Besides, he was a scholar, a critic and an accomplished poet whose Suktis i.e. (pithy memorial verses) are found in Sarangadhara's and Jalhana's anthologies. He wrote Naranārāyaṇānanda Mahākāvya in the style of great classical poems. The wonder is that even with his varied
Satruñjayamāhātmya describes Kapardiyakṣa to be of golden colour riding on an elephant and carrying in his four hands a rosary, a goad, a noose and a citron (bijoru) and having the banyan tree as his resort. Kapardiyakṣa Kalpa mentions a long purse instead of the rosary.
See Jain Sahitya Samsodhaka Vol. III, 1, pp 153-160
