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84 / The Rästrakūtas and Jainism
composition of the period which provides valuable sociohistorical material.
4.5.4.4.5. Undoubtedly Jinasēna's Adipurāņa is one of the greatest epics. Its theme has a lovely and moving saga of a soul in quest of highest sublimity. The story is a mixture of romance, of tenderest pathos and similar moving human emotions. Adipurāņa has a popular appeal. It is ornate poetry. No Jaina purāņa can bear comparison with Jinasēna's Adipurāņa in Sanskrit and with Pampa's Adipurāņa in Kannada, for their poetic excellence. Both Jinasēna-II and Pampa stand out as litterateurs of the utmost poetic accomplishment. Jinasēna's command of language, metre, alankāras, rasabhāvas, poetic competency and descriptive skill-are remarkably praise worthy. However, in the display of the wealth of peotic craftsmanship, in the flights of poetic fancy soaring to sublime altitude, which are refreshingly novel, Pampa is superior. Adopting the some theme of Jinasēna-II in toto, has not only made it his own, but has made it superior. In Jinasena, the ascetic in him often over-rides his poem; in Pampa, the poet in him inundates his poem.
4.5.4.4.5.1. In short, Adipurāna or for that matter, the entire Mahāpurāņa is a fine specimen of classical Sanskrit peom. Interpretation of dreams, treatise on town planning, duties of the warrior, and the art of governing the state - are some of the interesting portions, perhaps specially intended for the wise consideration of Amõghavarşa, the Răstrakūta monarch.
4.5.5. Vidyānanda (900-50), philosopher, epistemologist, commentator, was another author of height and repute in this period.
4.5.5.1. This survey would be complete by introducing Vidyānanda, early 9th cent. scholiast and commentator, as brilliant as Akalanka. He composed the Tattvārtha-sloka
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