Jinamanjari 1998 09 No 18

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 65

Jinamañjari, Volume 18, No.2, October 1998
BOOK REVIEW
ARHAT PĀRSVA AND DHARAṆENDRA NEXUS Editor: M.A. Dhaky. B.L. Institute, Delhi - 110036. L.D. Institute, Ahmedabad - 380009. Distributor: Motilal Banarsidass, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-110007, 1997. Pp.148 + Pp. 40 of photographs. Price: Rs.400. ISBN: 81-208-1485-1.
It is a collection of research papers presented at a Seminar held at the B.L. Institute of Indology, 21 thru 24 March 1987. It has a total of fourteen papers, of which two are in Hindi.
As the title suggests, all the papers are about Pārsva, the 23rd Jina, his distinct teachings, his reference in the canonical literature, his association with yakṣa Dharanendra both in ontological interpretation and in hymnal literature, and finally his images and temples from all over India, dating back from fourth to fifteenth century. Hence, we categorise all these papers into three groups:
may
Pārṣva in Canonical and hymnal literature, Pārṣva in association with Dharanendra, and
Pārṣva in art and archaeology.
In the first category, Dr. Sagarmal Jain and Prof. D.D. Malvania, based on the Isibhāsiyāiñ and Canonical literature, depict personality of Parṣva and his teaching, which, in my view, was the philosophy of Jainism as existed prior to Mahavira, who continued the tradition with a great vigour and gave a newer dimension to its body.
Pārṣva in association with Dharanendra has two papers. Late Prof. Umakanth P. Shah presents historical origin and ontological interpretation of Paaṣva in association of his yakṣa. Prof. M.A. Dhakay brings out a full account of the hymnals compositions to Pārsva in association with Dharanendra. Thus he provides names of various compositions and their authors. His one point in reference to Bhadrabahu (p.47) however creates confusion in the mind of the reader. "Uvasaggabara-thotta [which is ] regarded as the composition of Arya Bhadrabahu (active c. 310-290 B.C.E.) or his namesake, the so-called Bhadrabahu II." This anomaly between Bhadrabahu I and II definitely warrants clarification or explanation.
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