________________
Kathavate's introduction
conceits in describing the pleasures of the citizens. Wine seems to have played a prominent part in helping the cause of Love. Giving for some time considerable freedom to his amorous muse, the poet winds up his account of revelry by a grand conceit describing the approach of dawn. As if to atone for the revelry of the previous canto, and by way of preparing the reader for his hero's pilgrimages, the poet introduces in the eighth canto a series of moral reflexions, which are very neatly and elegantly expressed. The canto concludes with 2 beautiful description of the beauties of autumn. The ninth and last canto is devoted to the description of the minister's visits to the holy shrines held in reverence by Srawakas. One must keep before his mind's eye through how many different principalities of contending princes pilgrims had to pass, and how provinces were infested with marauding tribes, in order to be able to realize the importance which the poet attaches to the minister's having taken out with him a numerous band of fellow-pilgrims. In one of the Prabandhas the minister's retinue is described to have consisted of 4,500 carts, 700 palanquins, 700 carriages, 1,800 camels, 2,900 Srikarana,1 (?) 12,100 Svetambaras, 1,100 Digambaras, 450 Jain singers, 3,300 bards. The author seems to have taken up for description, only two or three holy places visited by the minister. After mentioning generally that he made rich gifts to all shrines that he came across in his way, and made repairs and additions to temples, wells &c., where they were necessary, the poet proceeds to mention that he visited the shrine on the mountain of Satrunjaya. He commemorated his visit to the holy mountain by building two temples-one for Neminatha, and another for Pārsvanatha. In the hall of this temple were placed the images of his ancestors and friends, and equestrian statues of himself and his brothers. From Satrunjaya the minister proceeded to the mountain Raivataka, where he offered the best incenses to the shrine of Neminatha; and having lived here for many days, he went to Prabhasa Pattana, and then worshipped Siva, known by the name of Somanatha. He took leave of the shrine of the great Jina at this place, and returned to his own city (Paṭṭana). When he arrived there, he first paid his respects to his king, and then went to his own house. Having thus completed his pilgrimage, he duly honoured the men who had accompanied him on his pilgrimage and sent them to their own places.
Here the poet's narration ends. It seems strange that the poet should have ommitted to mention the famous temples on mount Abu. It cannot be said that the Abu temples were built later, that is, after the date of the poem; for the inscriptions in the temples on Satrunjaya bear the date 1288, Samvat, while those in the Abu temples are dated 1287 of the same era. The Prasasti on these temples is composed by the author of this poem, and therefore the omission of the mention of the famous work from this panegyric seems the more strange. The only explanation that suggests itself to me is that the poet could make room for the description of one temple only, and he chose the Satraunjaya temple, because the one on Mount Abu was built in the name of the wife and son of Tejahpala, and may, in one sense, be regarded as a special work of Tejahpäala. It appears that Someswara, though a friend of both the brothers, was a special favourite of Vastupala. That is the only reason I can assign for no mention of the Abu temple being made in this poem.
May it mean a clerk ?
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
