Gyanchandrodayanataka

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

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INTRODUCTION
The present edition of the Jñanacandrodayanāțaka, the work hitherto unpublished, is prepared on the basis of the paper ms. belonging to the Sāgaragaccha Jaina Bhandāra preserved in the Hemacandracārya Jňāna. mandir, Patan. The ms. bears the No. 7382. Its size is 30 cms x 12 cms. It consists of 24 folios. Each folio has 12 lines per side and 45 letters per line. The script is good. There is no colophon at the end. But there occurs the name of the scribe at the end. His name was Megha. (Meghalikhitain.) The ms. is copied in c. 1700 V. S. It is in good condition.
The work is entitled Uñanarandroda yanataka. But in the last verse the author calls it vyayoga. It is divided into Five Acts (Ankas). We find remarks 'pravigati' and 'niskrinta' to mark the beginning or end of a particular topic. Though the author suggests that Bandha (Bondage) etc. are characters, he has not personified them. There is no dialogue. So, this work is not a drama. It is simply a work on Jaina philosophy exclusively written in Sanskrit verses. It consists of 398 verses. The author has employe 1 various metres.
The author of the present work is Padmasundara. In the last verse occurring at the end of the work the author tells us that Padmasundara, a pupil of Padmameru who again is a pupil of Anandameru, has composed Jñānacandrodaya Vyāyoga. Harsakirti who flourished in this line after Padmasundara informs us that Padmasundara was honoured by Emperor Akbar just as Anandārya (=Anandameru) had been honoured by Emperors Babar an 1 Hunayu. In bis Dhatutarangini Harsakirti further tells us that Padmasundara was honoured by Māladeva of Jodhpur and that he defeated a Pundit at the court of Emperor Akbar. When in 1582 A.D. Hiravijayasuri visited Akbar's court Padmasundara was no more and his books lving with Prince Salim were handed over to Hiravijayasuri who established a Bhandāra with them at 'Agra. It is beyond doubt that Padmasundara was a great scholar. He wrote Akabaraśahısrngaradarpana! (a work on Kāyyajāstra), Hayanasundara (a work on Astrology), Pramanasundara? (a work on Logic), Sundaraprakasasabdarnava(a Lexicon), Yadusundaramahakavya, Parsvanathama. hakāvva and Rayamallabhjuda yamahakāvya. 1 Published in Ganga Oriental Series, Bikaner. 2 Included in Jaina Philosophical Tracts published in L. D. Series, No. 41.
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