Jain Journal 1991 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 46

OCTOBER, 1991
129
A tradition of writing commentaries on Aradhana (Mulärädhana) existed in Karnataka from 8th century. Among the earliest are Vijayodaya in Sanskrit and Ārādhanā Karnāțațikā in Kannada, respectively written by Aparajita Sari and Bhrājsņu. Though the date, place and identification of them is still debatable, it is possible that they were both from Karnataka and that they lived in 9th Century. Ramacandra Mumukşu has based his Punyāsrava Kathākośa on Aradhanā Karnātaţikā is a point for further consideration.
Vaddārādhane (about 1075) a collection of 19 stories bears the stamp of Prakrit so much that if Prakrit elements are taken away from this text what remains then is a bare skeleton. Name of the author and the work, date, place and source were all in a state of nebulous. I had the pleasure and previlege of probing deep into these questions in my Ph.D. thesis on this subject, which has thrown fresh light on all these aspects. This Kannada Kathakośa has borrowed gāhās from Bhagavati Ārādhanā, Mālācāra, Tiloyasāra, Paramātma-prakāśa, Sricandra's Kathākośa, Jambūdivapannatti, Nayacakra, Darśana-pähuda and Pratikramanasūtra, all Prakrit works.
Camuņdaraya, an outstanding personality in Karnataka's history, has written some works and TLP is a significant Kannada prose work (978) as it is the first Mahāpurāņa in Kannada. There are about 11 gāhās quoted in the CRP. Camundarāya is the main cause for ti erection of Gommateśvara's monolith of 58 ft at Sravanabelagola and for Nemicandra's Gommațasāra. Någacandra's (1080) Rāmacandracarita-purāņam narrates Jaina version of Rāmāyana and owes its gratitude to Vimala-sūri's (a 3C) Pauma-cariya, written in Jaina-Mahārāştri.
Nemicandra (a 1180), a Caturbhāşa Cakravarti, wrote two campukävyas ; Lilāvati-prabandhaṁ and Nemināthapurāņaṁ. Scholars have noted the influence of Prakrit Lilāvatikāvya of Kouhala (a. 800) and Sanskrit Vasavadattă of Subandhu, (a 6C) on Nemicandra's Lilāvati kāvya. I would like to focus the attention of scholars to another important reference not mentioned so far; One Jineśvara Suri (1034) has written a Prakrit kāvya 'Lilāvati Kathā,' which may be the direct source to Nemicandra's Kannada classic-Lilāvati-prabandham.
In his another kāvya, poet Nemicandra, in a state of ecstacy and out of sheer love and respect for Prakrit literature, has given a rare description. Let me quote the very words of the poet : (the situation under reference is that Vasudeva majestically enters the marriage hall)