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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
20
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
includes prabandhas, in prose and in verse, composed both in Sanskrit as well as in Prakrit.
(4) The Prabundhakosa or Caturviniatiprabandha of Rajasekharasûri (1349 A.D.) consists of 24 extensive and interesting prabandhas, the first and the last ones being Bhadrabahu-Varaha-prabandhu and VastupalaTejapala-prabandha respy. The seventh prabandha viz. that of Mallavadisuri is written throughout in verse, while the rest are in the usual simple colloquial Sanskrit prose. It was first published by the Forbes Gujarati Sabhā, Bombay in 1932 A.D. and then by Muni Jinavijayaji as no. 6 of the Singhi Jaina Series in 1935 A.D.
(5) The Bhojaprabandha of Ballala (c. 16th cent. A.D.). There are six different works named Bhojaprabandhu by Ballala, Merutunga Rajavallabha, Vatsaraja, Subhasila and Padmagupta. Ballala's work, however, is the only prominent one, which was first published from Calcutta and then from Bombay (Nirnaya Sägara Press, revised in 1928 A.D.). Being an amusing piece of proso-poetic composi tion purporting to commemorate the liberal patronage of king Bhoja of Malavâ it describes how he succeeded to the throne and presents a series of anecdotes about his relations with the many poets and literary lights that thronged his court. The portions introducing the celebrities like Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Dandin, Magha etc. who flourished at different periods of time are of no value from historical point of view, but are useful for entertainment as well as for developing present wit.
Not only does this Prabandha Literature possess importance from historical and geographical points of view but also-and much more-from the viewpoint of Sanskrit lexicography on account of its peculiarly simple mass-appealing language which is replete with rare and obsolete words, back-formations, hyper-Sanskritism and all the more with words, expressions and syntactical peculiarities of the regional dialects. A lexicographical study of three of these works viz. the Prabandhacintamani, the Prabandhakosa and the Puratanaprabandhasangraha is presented by Dr. B. J. Sandesara and the present editor in their "Lexicographical Studies in Jaina Sanskrit ' " published from Baroda in 1962 as ne. 5 of the M. S. University Oriental Series.
The present text also is a work of the prabandha-style. As will be evident from the following pages, though a small work of 31 printed pages, it is very important from historial and lexicographical points of view, and as such it makes a very healthy addition to the Prabandha Literature.
HCL, pp. 501-2.
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