________________
146 ]
wrote in Prakrit PRATHAVICANDA CARITA in the year 1104 A.D. It consists of 7500 Gathas Nayanandi completed his Sudanśana Cariu (Sudarsana Carita) in Samvat 1100 (1043 A D) It is very fine work describing the life of Sudarsana a Jaina merchant There are 10 manuscripts in the Amer Sastra Bhandar. Kavi Vīra wrote JAMBU SWAMI CARIU (Jambu Swami Carita) in the year 1019. It is a fine work of Vira and Srangāra Rasa. The manuscript of this work is preserved in Amer Sästra Bhandar, and Sastra Bhandar Bada Mandir, Jaipur, Haribhadra Sūri wrote Mallinatha Carita and Candraprabha Carita in Prakrit and Neminaha Cariu in Apabhramsa. Laksmangani wrote Supasanah Carita in 1143 A. D., Gunabhadra and Somprabhäçarya composed Mahavira Carita and Sumatinatha Carita respectively in about 1190 A.D
Jaina Granths Bhandars in Rajasthan
Bhavisayatta Cantu is the work of Dhanapala German Scholar Dr. Jacobi felt interested in it and got it printed in Germany It is regarded a 11th Century work. The manuscripts of this work are preserved in good number in the Jaina Grantha Bhandars of Rajasthan.
CARITA LITERATURE
Carita literature can be placed between kavya hiterature and story literature: This is a light literature but does not consist only of stones. From the carita literature available in the Jaina Sastra Bhandars, it is noticed that before 12th century Kavyas written by the poets in difficult and alankärika language were preferied by the people but later on such difficult literature was not easy to be read so there was a general demand for lighter literature which might take the place of Kavya literature Though there was not a hard and fast rule that a Canta should be written in simple language without show of scholarship. It is also true that majority of the works of this kind of literature are easy and written in a very understandable language The Caritas which describes the life of individual Jinas are numerous in Samskrit. We shall describe some of the main works of this class which are found in the Jaina Grantha Bhanḍārs
Acarya Gunabhadra pupil of Acarya Jinasen' and writer of Uttarpurana wrote two works. Jinadatta Carita and Dhanya Kumar Carita1. These works describe the lives of Jinadatta and Dhanyakumar respectively.
1 Brihad Gyan Bhandar Jaisalmer.
2
Amer Sastra Bhandar, Jaipur
4. Amer Sastra Bhandar, Jaipur.
5 Grantha Bhandar, Terapanthi Mandi, Jaipur.
3
Ibid.