ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 316

The following are some of the works:
INTERNATION
1 Vasudevahindi: Sanghadāsagani and Dharmadasagani
SCHOOL
2 Samaräiccakaha by Acarya Haribhadra
5.0 Prakrit Narrative Literatures
The canon is extremely rich in stories and legends of various types. The reports on the prophets, apostles and saints it contains offer a rich material to the later generations for their literary creations. These legends possesses the unique power of interpreting like for us of consoling us and sustaining us. These legends in chaste, lucid and simple languages cooperate with the benign tendencies in human nature and society and well in their efficacious in making man wiser better and happier. They are again and again treated in countless works in poetic beauty. There are numerous biographies of Ṛṣabha, Śāntinātha, Ariṣṭanemi, Pārśva, Mahāvīra and other Tirthamkaras which mostly deal with popular theme in the usual schematic way; and they strive to get for the theme new angles only by additions of new episodes, of stories from the earlier births of the hero and his followers.
OF
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY,
Farenga
परमे
But the hagiography of Jainas did not restrict itself from the olden times to describing the life and work of the in founders of religion and those persons who were connected with them, either as devotees or as adversaries, but it included a great number of other legendary personalities in the sphere of their observations. 12 world-rulers and 27 heroes are the main personalities of the traditional world- history besides 24 Tirthamkaras. These add up to sixty Ślākāpurusas. Along with these who appear to be particularly special for Jainas, they also consider heroes known to Hindus, like Bharata, Sagara, Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Rāvana, as also Balarama, Kṛṣṇa and Jarasandha.
Jainas have more or less strongly changed the stories of these men and other persons from the epics Rāmāyaṇa and Mahabharata for their purpose; the heroes in these are obviously all pious Jainas and think and act as such. The great number they have come down to us speaks for the strong persons for Jaina reworking and, as we must often say, for distortion of the Brahmanic legends.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
तप
Apart from the stories of Rama and Kṛṣṇa in this work; it also contains tales on various themes, some of which are secular.
This is a rich work in Prakrit narrative literature, composed around the eighth century in Chittor.
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