Grammatical Riddles from Jain Works

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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Grammatical Riddles from Jain works
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interesting to note, for instance, that it shows several affinities with Vidyānātha's Pratāparudriya, a popular treatise in South India*. The Hindi introduction of the editor includes a detailed comparison of the AC with other Indian works on poetics (Natyaśāstra, alamkāra-chapters of the Agnipurāna, Bhāmaha, Dandin, Udbhața, Rudrata, Rājasekhara, Bhoja, Mammata, Vägbhata, Hemacandra, Visvanātha and Vijayavarni's Srngärārnavacandrikā) and presents a critical appraisal of the material included in the AC. As a Digambara Jain, Ajitasena of course draws inspiration from his own religious tradition and often quotes from the basic works or authors representing this cultural background (Adipurāna, Samantabhadra, etc.).
The second chapter on praśnottaras (not considered as such in the Hindi introduction) is no exception to this tendency. Ajitasena's sources are not here the above-mentioned alamkāraśāstras, where riddles, albeit present, are not the main topic, but the standard treatise on the subject, namely Dharmadāsa's Vidagdhamukhamandana (= VMM). Dharmadāsa's original Buddhist affiliation can be stated with some amount of certainty on the basis of internal evidence and there is no need to reject it as insufficient", but this has never been an obstacle to the diffusion of the VMM in broad circles. The Jains, who have shown considerable interest in all linguistic games and have never despised anything connected with śabdālaskāras, could not ignore the VMM : manuscripts of the VMM are numerous in Jain librariestoJinaprabhasūri (early 14th cent. A.D.), a Svetāmbara, is among those who commented upon it, and our Ajitasena's aim was obviously to make the VMM suitable for a Digambara Jain audience. Hence the following result : the verses giving the table of contents and the definition-verses, which are devoid of all sectarian character whatsoever, are almost identical to those of the VMM or, in case they are changed, show very minute differences, as if the author had had before him a copy of the original work and had deliberately introduced some small modifications like a plagiarist would do (see examples below § 4, 9 and 15). As for the illustrative verses, they are sometimes clearly based on the VMM (below 8 7 and 9) or at least inspired by it, they are simply different because
* If it has reference to Prataparudra, the last Kākatīya king of Tilangāna, its date of
composition may be some year in the first quarter of the 14th century.--Editors