Contribution of Jainas to Sanskrit and Prakrit Literature

Author(s): Vasantkumar Bhatt, Jitendra B Shah, Dinanath Sharma
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad

Page 48

The Rare Manuscript of Jharu Pandita's....
इति श्रीझारु पंडितविरचितायां कुमारसंभवटीकायामष्टमः सर्गः समाप्तः । शुभमस्तु लेखकपाठकयोः ॥छा
si 11
23
The ms. contains the commentary only on one to eight sargas on the Kumarasambhavam and it is complete. The commentator seems to have commented only on eight sargas of the Kumārasambhavam. Moreover, the text of the verses, commented is not fully presented but only the lemma or the pratika only of the verses, commented is mentioned.
The Commentary and Commentator :
It will not be out of place here to give some preliminary details about the commentator and the commentary which would enhance the importance of the rare ms. As with other scholars, no personal / biographical information is available about the commentator. As mentioned previously, from the title of the commentary namely, 'Yasodharanandini," it may be presumed that he was a Jain scholar. He has referred to Vallabhadeva at some places in his commentary, which indicates his posterity to Vallabhadeva (first quarter of tenth century as mentioned by Prof. Gautam Patel'). The work of studying and copying down the ms. is in progress. So far, besides Vallabhadeva, the following authors and works are found referred to by the commentator.
Authors: Panini, Amara, Dandi, Durga, Medinīkāra. Works - Rāmāyaṇa, Nirukta, Bhagavadgītā, Harivaṁśa, Mālatīmādhava, Bhāgavata, Mādhavanidāna, Viśva or Viśvalocana, Kaṇṭhābharana. Among these, the mention of the Kaṇṭhābharaṇa (1100 A. D.) and of Medanīkāra (1200-1275 A. D.) are important for determining his date, which set his upper limit to 13th century A. D.
The scholarship of the commentator is evident from the various sources quoted and referred to by him. He often gives grammatical explanations, quoting Panini. He explains the metres and figures of speech. Dandin's Kävyädarśa is frequently quoted for explaining figures of speech. In the first verse, the commentator reads "Vigahya" as against "Vagahya" read by Mallinatha. The verses from the Harivamsa are quoted for explaining the mythology in the second verse-"Pruthūpadiṣṭām duduhur dharitrim." The commentator gives a romantic explanation of the thickness of breasts of the vergin Pārvati-stanyarāhityāt kāṭhinyam.
Concluding Remarks
The work of studying, copying down and editing the commentary is still