________________
HAMPA NAGARAJAIAH: THE ADIPURANA
233
Jinasena knew different narrative Kathā styles such as ākṣepiņi and viksepini and their application to achieve desired effect on the readers. His preference for saddharma-kathā, evidently projecting the prominence of Dharma over the other two Puruşārthas of artha and kāma, finally to attain mokșa.
The accumulated knowledge of Jaina Lore and the pith and marrow of the canonical texts, was passed from one generation to the succeeding ones. In the process, the pre-Jinasena scholar-saints like Kūcibhattāraka, Srīnandi and Kavi-Parameșthin, who were versed in the Purāņic lores, had shouldered the responsibility of carrying forward the quintessence of the Purāņa concept, much earlier to Jinasena. Obviously, the Mahāpurāņa had a deep - rooted tradition.
Since none of the preceding works is extant, it is rather difficult to assess how far adept Jinasena is influenced by his predecessors. However, Jinasena, on his own accord, has acknowledged some of his forerunners like Siddhasena, Samantabhadra, Yaśobhadra, Pūjyapāda, Bhatta Akalanka, Sivakoti, Jațāsimhanandi, Kāņabikşu, Srīpāla, Pātrakesari, Vādisimha, Vīrasena, Jayasena and KaviParameśvara. (Adipurānn 1.43-60] Albeit, Jinasena is remembered revered, and reckoned as one of the more luminous and celebrated author. He symbolised the spiritual upsurge of his times, combining in himself the erudition of a scholar, the sensitivity of a poet and a passion of a reformer. The Adipurāņa is marked by a high degree of excellence and sensibility. Imparting ahimsā cult, Jinasena heralded a socio-cultural, politico-spiritual and literary revolution by authoring the Adipurāņa. Paragon of the Jaina heritage, Jinasena, had an access to all the major works of the early ācāryas. The entire Srutabhāndāra, library of palmleaf manuscripts, was at his disposal. He studied under Vīrasena and Jayasena, congnoscenti professors of late 8th century. As a privileged royal teacher, he had the first hand knowledge of political affairs. He was thorough with the Canda-Paņņatti, the Jambūdiva-Pannatti, the Tiloya-Paņņatti, the Sūriya-Paņņatti, Prakrit works of 4th and 6th centuries, which deal with the astronomy and the nature of universe.
Jinasena intended and designed to author the entire Mahāpurāņa himself. Accordingly he wrote the Ādipurāņa (s.a. Pūrvapurāņa, ), a
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
