Gaharayankosa

Author(s): Jineshwarsuri, Amrutlal Bhojak, Nagin J Shah, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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the Prakrit Subhāşitas one may refer to the introductions to the Gāthāsaptašati, the Vajjalagga2 and the Chhappaņņayagāthākosa.
Gaharayanakosa-Gāthāratnakosa This Gathāratnakośa is a collection of Prakrit Subhāsitas composed by poets anterior to Jineśvarasūri, the compiler. This has been declared by Jinešvarasüri in gātha 2 on p. 1. Nearly one hundred gāthās are common to this Gābārayanakosa and the Vajjālagga. Refer to Appendix No. 2. It is divided into 58 sections called Prakrama. For the subject-matter of these sections one may refer to Visayānukrama (contents). Though the compiler is a Jaina monk, there is nothing Jainistic about the work except the first section devoted to the prayer of Jina. This prayer is followed by those of Visnu, Maheśvara and Sarasvati. There is a section on Krsnakrīdā. One section is devoted to poetic riddles (hrali). Sections of descriptive verses on six seasons are interesting. There are also sections devoted to love and the lover. Thus the Gābārayanakosa contains material, arrangement and division of subjects similar to those of most other Sanskrit and Prakrit anthologies,
The complier has explicitly stated that the Gathāratnakośa contains 800 gāthas the extent of which is equal to 1000 anuştubh verses. But the ms. utilised by us contains 822 gathas. In this printed edition there is one gross mistake we have committed in numbering the gathās. No. 194 is immediately followed by No. 204. Readers are requested to note that gātbās are not missing here; only the numbers are missing. Thus though the last number is 837, the gātbās are 828. Two gāthās of benediction and four gāthas of Prasasti being the composition of the compiler may be deducted from these 828 gathās. As a result of this, the number of the gāthās of the main text of the Gābārayaņakosa comes to 822. So, we may conclude that at least 22 gāthas are later additions.
For the satisfaction of the Munis, Jineśvarasüri has complied this anthology in the Village of Bhālijja (Modern Bhalej in Anand Taluka) in V. S. 1251. Up. Vinayavijayajı, the copyist of the ms, in point, in his colophon describes the Gathāratnakosa as ‘parama amsta' (the pure nectar).
Jinesvarasuri The compiler Jineśvarasüri has given praśastigāthās. It is as follows :
his spiritual lineage in
the
1. Hindi Introduction to the Gäthäsap tabati, Ed. Dr. Paramanand shastri, Merath,
1965. 2. Prakrit Text Series (Ahmedabad), No. 14.