Kavya Prakasha Khandana

Author(s): Siddharshi Gani, Rasiklal C Parikh
Publisher: Singhi Jain Shastra Shiksha Pith Mumbai

Page 34

INTRODUCTION
15
S. wrote a his Jinasataka-tika, as he himself says, in v. S. 1714 (1658 A. D.) and a Ms. of the present work, K. P. K., was copied in the V.S. 1722 (1666 A. D.) in his own life-time. So he must have lived for at least 77 years. The exact year of his death is however unknown.
From his autobiographic account we learn that Siddhicandra was initiated in the Jain order when he was quite young, śiśu, as he calls himself and his elder brother. He describes his first introduction to Akbar in no modest terms. He does not blush to compare himself with Kamadeva in beauty. (अनन्यलभ्यसौन्दर्यन्यत्कृतश्रीतनूद्भवः; श्लोक. ७१. ibid),
In fact he refers to his physical strength and beauty at several places in the B. C. He is very conscious of his unusual intellectual powers particularly his capacity of Avadhānas which earned for him the title of Khusfaham' from Akbar.s S. tells us that Akbar asked him to come daily and live with him in the company of his sons : त्वया मत्सूनुभिः सार्ध स्थयमत्रैव नित्यशः। The importance however of this part of the narration lies in the information it gives about S's education at the court of Akbar. He describes it in the following verses:
कदाचित् शाहिनाहूतः कदाचन पुनः खतः । असावन्तःसभं गच्छन्नधीयानश्च तिष्ठति ॥ ८७ महाभाष्यादिकान्येव नानाव्याकरणानि च । नैषधादीनि काव्यानि तौश्चिन्तामणीमुखान् ॥ ८८ काव्यप्रकाशप्रमुखानलङ्काराननकेशः । छन्दःशास्त्रण्यनेकानि नाटकान्यपि लीलया ॥ ८९ अध्यैष्ट सर्वशास्त्राणि स्तोकैरेव दिनैस्ततः । शाहिना प्रेरितोऽत्यन्तं सत्वरं पारसीमपि ॥ ९.
(प्र. ४. भा. च.) The interesting thing to note from this is that Akbar asked him to study • Parasi' or Persian. There is a further reference to his study of Persian literature in the description of A.'s tour to Kashmirt in which he and his Guru accompanied the Emperor. He says that he
1 See p. 65, Introduction to B. C. 2 of also पुरः स्मरमिवादाक्षीद भवभीत्या धृतवृतम् । (श्लो. ७५) The pun on the word भव.
___may be noted. 3 अन्तःसभमथाय समक्षं सर्वभूभुजाम् । अवधानविधानादिपरीक्षा कृतवान् प्रभुः ।। ८४ ____ अतुलां तत्कला चैनां दर्श दर्श चमत्कृतः। विख्यातं 'खुस्फहमे'ति तस्य नाम प्रदत्तवान् ।। ८५, प्र. ४
The following verses are quoted as they briefly describe Akbar's tour to Kashmir. According to S., Akbar undertook this tour with a desire to see
saffron flowers. See 30&. इतः कश्मीरकिअल्कपुष्पोद्गमदिदृक्षया । प्रतस्थे पृथिविनाथः पुनः श्रीनरं प्रति ॥ १०२ अमन्दानन्दसंपूर्णः शाहिः सत्कृत्य वाचकान् । सार्द्धमाकारयामास सिद्धिचन्द्रसमन्वितान् ।। १०३ पठतः पारसीमन्यास्तत्तनूजाङ्गजैः समम् । प्रातः पूर्वदिनाभ्यस्तं पुरः श्रावयतः प्रभोः॥ १०४ कुर्वतश्च वरीवस्यां शाहेः स्नेहार्द्रचेतसः। प्रसिद्धिः सिद्धिचन्द्रस्य सर्वत्र ववृधेतराम् ।। १०५ पर्वतान् रखपंजाल-पीरपंजालकादिकान् । हिमैरभ्रंलिहैस्तुङ्गशृङ्गानुल्लङ्घ्य दुर्गमान् ॥ १०६ क्रमाद्त्वाथ कश्मीरं दृष्ट्वा काश्मीरभूरूहान् । प्रफुल्लकुसुमामोदलोलरोलम्बचुम्बितान् ॥ १०७ स्थित्वा च कतिचिन्मासांस्तश्चर्यदिदृक्षया । प्रत्यावृत्य पुनलाभपुरं शाहिरभूषयत् ॥ १०८
(त्रिभिर्विशेषकम् । प्र. ४, भा. च.)