Life of Hemchandracharya

Author(s): Manilal Patel
Publisher: Singhi Jain Shastra Shiksha Pith Mumbai

Page 42

CHAPTOR III.-HEMACANDRA AND JAYASIMHA-SIDDHARĀJA
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this statement and found that the temples of the Jinas were preferable to those of the Brahmanic gods in other respects also, according to the rules in their scriptures. Thereupon, thus it is concluded, Siddharaja discarded from himself the darkness of doubt,
In view of the fact that some of the stories quoted appear to be mythical at the first sight, and that regarding most of the remaining, the Prabandhas contradict each other, it would be more than presumptuous to assume any of them as really historical, On the contrary, it is not at all improbable that they describe rightly on the whole the mode and manner in which Hemacandra behaved himself towards the king. Hemscandra would naturally have access to the audience of his lord during the last years of his life. He would have doubtless striven to shine out by his scholarship and smartness and he would have let no opportunity pass unexploited for a good word in favour of his own sect or at least for the equality of rights of the non-Brahmanic sects. In so doing, he would not miss to particularly stress those points in which the Jaina-doctrine coincided with the Brahmanie faith. It will be shown later on that like a clever missionary he did not fail also in his works to make use of such points of coincidence, and when it suited. his purpose, he invoked the authority of the most popular Brahmanic scriptures in his favour. Lastly, he certainly had ample opportunity of defending himself and his co-religionists against the attacks of envious Brahmins and the statement that he employed such devices, as the one mentioned in connection with the defence of Nemicarita, is not incredible. Such traits are characteristically Indian and they are found very often amongst the Jainas. As yet one cannot with absolute certainty measure how great was the influence which Hemacandra exercised over Jayasimha to the advantage of his own sect. One might give credence, to a certain extent, to Hemacandra's own statement in the Deyasraya, according to which Jayasimha built a temple of Mahavira in Siddhapura and paid his homage to Neminatha on the mountain Girnar. For, there are enough examples, in old and recent times, of Indian Princes, who were not bigoted but rather liberal in their religious views, offering many presents to deities of faiths other than their own; indeed they have even worshipped them specially when they had to wait, like Jayasimha, vainly for the fulfilment of some long-cherished desire. But it is another question whether Jayasimha's propensity towards Jainism or favouritism towards the same, is to be ascribed exclusively to the efforts of Hemacandra. The most recent researches make it highly improbable that this was the case, for, they show that other Jaina-monks also had access to Jayasimha's court and were allowed to expound their doctrines to him. Amongst them, there is mention of a second Hemacandra, also named Maladhärin, who appears, judging from the dates of his works, to have been ten to twenty years older than Hemacandra, the compiler of the Grammar. A work belonging probably to the 13th century, says: "Jayasimha drank the nectar of his speech". In a Prasasti composed in about 1400 A. D., it is even said that he converted Jayasimha and induced him to adorn the Jains temples in his own kingdom and foreign parts with golden flag-staves and knols and also to issue an ediet which prohibited the killing of animals on 80 days in each year. If one might put one's trust in these latter statements, then the achievements of the grammarian Hemacandra should be very doubtful. Unfortunately