Book Title: Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II
Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chaterjee
Publisher: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd

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Page 271
________________ THB DIGAMBARA LITERATURE 261 The YC is a poem", of only four cantos. In this poem also, the poet has indirectly mentioned the contemporary Western Cālukya king Jayasimba, which proves that it was composed between 1025 A.D. (the date of the composition of PC) and 1043 A.D., the last regnal year of that king. As we have already seen, there were several earlier poems on Yaśodhara and the earliest work, on this subject, was by one Prabhañjana, whose poem has been mentioned by the author of the Kuvalayamala 6 (3.31). However the greatest work on this subject, is by Somadeva, which has already been discussed in our earlier volume of the present work." Vâdirāja's treatment is different from either Somadeva or Pushpadanta, although the latter's work probably influenced the present poem.“7 However, the poem proves that Vādirāja was a complete artist and his descriptions are both moving and dramatic. In only 296 verses, he has been able to tell a beautiful, yet tragic story.48 It has been described “as the shortest and sweetest mahakāvya". The Nyāyaviniscayavivarana"), which is now available in print, has been hailed by no less an authority than Satkari Mukherjee 5o, as “an encyclopaedia of Indian logic, which is noted for its stupendously wide range and its appalling! dialectic". In it the author has effectively refuted the arguments of the Buddhist Dharmakirti. Several authorities like Asvaghosha, Kumãrila, Prasastapāda, Isvaraksshņa, Mapdanamiśra and others have also been mentioned in this great work. The work is divided into three sections, namely perception (Pratyaksha). Inference (Anumāna) and Testimony (Pravacana); but these three sections run to almost one thousand pages “of close print in super royal size". Another early Digambara literary authority of our period was Viranandin, whose Candraprabhacaritasi, was written around 1000 A.D. As we have already said, he has been mentioned by the great Vādirāja in his Pārsvanāthacarita.$ 2 He has been mentioned with respect by

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