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9. THE EVOLUTION OF SANATKUMĀRA-CARITA*
Evolution of Indian religious myths and legends is a vast and intricate field of study. Jain myths and legends form an important part of this field and at its centre we find the Universal History.. The Jain Universal History usually enumerate sixtythree Great Men (Uttam/mahā/Salākå-puruṣa). Of the twelve Universal Monarchs (Cakravartin) included in the list, the fourth is Sanatkumāra, the previous three being Bharata, Sagara and Maghavan. The life-story of Sanatkumara Cakravartin has been the subject of numerous works in Prakrit, Apabhramśa, Sanskrit and other Indian languages. Like the treatment of the stories of the other Salākāpuruşas, the treatment of Sanatkumāra-carita (Sc.) too has passed through four stages. Initially it is found as an isolated narrative more or less sketchy. Next it is found as a part of fullfledged systematic works dealing with the account of all the sixtythree Great Men. Thereafter the individual caritas occur as drstänta-kathās, embedded in some commentary, didactic prakarana or tale-collection (kathākos'a, kathāvali). Lastly we have independant works on some one Salākāpuruṣa, in the form of a regular mahākāvya in verse, prose or a mixture of both. The table below presents most of the important Sanatkumāra-caritas according to the above-indicated fourfold categorization (The abreviation of the title of a work is given in adjacent parantheses). Title Author
Date
Abbreviation वसुदेवहिंडी
सङ्घदास c. 5th cent.
VH उपदेशमाला-विवरण जयसिंह
9th cent.
UV धर्मोपदेशमाला-विवरण
859 A.D.
DV चउप्पन्न-महापुरिस-चरिय शीलाङ्क 869 A.D.
CM उत्तरपुराण
गुणभद्र
ante 897 A.D. बृहत्कथाकोश हरिषेण 932 A.D.
BK महापुराण
पुष्पदन्त 965-972 A.D.
MP
UP
