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INTRODUCTION of the Sukritasamkirtana text by late
Muniraja Shri Chauravijayaji Maharaja '. सामाजिनाधिपतिधर्मनृपाङ्गरक्षो जागतिं नर्तितमना मुदि वस्तुपालः।
The Sukstasankirtana is a historical Mahākāvya describing the good deeds of Vastupāla. It consists of eleven cantos. and at the end of each conto are appended five verses composed by a Amara Paņdita. Three out of these are eulogistic, the fourth mentions Arisimha as the author of this work and praises his poetical skill, while the fifth rocords the fact that these four verses are composed by Amara.
The popularity or the work. The Sukstasankirtana does not seem to have been popular even among the Jains. Verses from Someśvara's Kirtikaumudi are often found in the Prabandhakośa and Jinaharsha's Vastupālcharitra, but none from the Sukstasankirtana. Balachandra has also composed his Vasantāvilas on the style of the Kirtikaumudi.
Literature about Vastupäla - The main works about Vastupala's history are as under:
Contemporary I Sukstasankirtana. II Kirtikaumudi. III Dharmabhyudaya. IV Sukstakirtikallolini.
Udayaprabha V Hammiramadamardana. VI Vastupāla-Tejahpāla Prasasti Jayasimha Sūri. VII Vasantavitāsa by Bälchandra.
Later VIII Vastupālaprabandha in the Prabandhachintāmani. 1x Vastupālaprabandha in the Chaturvimśatiprabandha.
X Vastupālacharitra of Jinaharsha. The author and his religion - The author of the Sukstasankirtana is Arisimha, son of Lavaņasimha. He was a protege of Vastupāla and we understand from the Upadeśatarangiņi that like Someśvarsa, the author of the Kirtikaumudi, he too got a giras and other gifts for this work. It is not clear to what caste he belonged, whether he was a Bania or a bard. He has got the appellation Thakura and this appellation was common among the Banias too. As to his religion, it is not quite certain whether he was a Jaina or a Shaiya. The fact of his bringing the spirit of Kumāra pala and making him to order Bhima to revive the glory of Jainism speaks in favour of his being a Jaina, while his omission of salutation of Jina in the beginning of his poem and his telling us that Vastupāla's mother Kumāradevi, though a leader among those following Jainism, had faith in Siva too, which is not mentioned by any other writer, mey lead one to believe that he was a Saiva, (1) स्वसकीर्तनगुणकुलपूर्वजावदातप्रतिपादककीर्तिकौमुदीसुकृतसङ्कीर्तनकाव्यकृत्सोमेश्वरारिसिहयोामग्रासाश्वदुकूलादि
दानं यावज्जीवाहे दत्तम् ।।
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