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JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
83
in the life of Kaţtiyangāran and he immediately knew in his own life the same principle illustrated. Royal honour resting on such unethical foundation was certainly not the thing to be coveted for. Therefore he resolved to abdicate his kingdom in favour of his son and retire from sovereignty to spend the rest of his life in penance. So he went away to the place where Mahāvīra was, got instruction in spiritual inatters from Gañadhara Sudharma who initiated him into spiritual life and penance. Thus Jivaka spent the rest of his period in meditation and finally attained Nirvāṇa as the fruit of his meditation and penance. Thus ended the glorious life of the great kșatriya hero Jivaka in whose honour this monumental Tamil classic was composed by the author Tiruttakkadēva.
This classic contains 3145 stanzas. An excellent edition containing a fine commentary by Naccinārkkiniyar is now available, and it is by the famous scholar Mahāmahöpādhyāya Dr. V. Swaminatha Ayyar who has devoted all his life to the publication of rare Tamil classics.
Let us now turn to the five minor kavyas? which are (1) Yasodhara, (2) Cūdamani? (3) Udayanan-kathai, (4) Nägakumära-kavyam and (5) Nilakësi. All these five minor epics were composed by Jaina authors.
1. These are popularly known as Ain-jirukkāppiyangal.
2. Of the five minor kavyas, Cintamani has been edited by Damodaram Pillai (1889). Besides, Vacana-Cintāmaņi (1898) by the same editor is a prose rendering of Cintamani in easy style and diction.
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