Life of Hemchandracharya

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

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CHAPTER IV.-KUMÄRAPĀLA AND HEMACANDRA to the throne. He relates only the story of the meeting in Stambhatirtha, with a few small variations. After Kumārapāla had wandered over various countries on his flight from Aphilvād, he turned towards Cambay with a view to begging Udayana for money for his travels. As Udayana was at the Jaina monastery when Kumārapāla arrived, the latter also went there. There he met Hemacandra who at once prophesied to him that he would become a king ruling over the whole earth. As Kumārapāla would not believe that, Hemacandra wrote his prophecy down and gave one copy to Udayana, the king's councillor, and another to the prince. Thereupon the latter said: "If it will come true, then thou shalt be the real king; I shall only be dust at thy feet". Hemacandra replied that the kingship was of no consequence to him but that Kumārapāla should not forget his word and should later on be thankful to the Jaina Dharma and faithful to it. Thereupon Kumārapāla was supplied with food and drink at Udayana's own house and was also given the desired money for the journey. Then he turned towards Mālvā where he remained till Jayasimha's death. When the latter died, he returned to Anhilvād and carried his election to the throne into effect with the help of his brother-in-law Kāhnaďadeva 'who led him into the palace with his troops ready for war'.57
Jinamandana brings Kumārapāla and Hemacandra together much earlier. He describes, Kumārapāla had gone to the court to pay his homage, before the king persecuted him. There he saw Hemacandra sitting before the king and went soon afterwards to the monastery in order to meet the monk. There Hemacandra delivered him a sermon and finally made him take a vow "of viewing others' wives thenceforth as sisters". Jinamaņlana's version of the story of Kumārapāla's flight is, as far as Hemacandra's part is concerned, a mixture of the stories of both the Prabhāvakacaritra and the Prabandhacintūmani. According to his presentation Hemacandra meets-as Merutunga says-the fugitive first in Cambay. But the meeting takes place accidentally in a temple outside the gates of Cambay whereto Udayana also comes with a view to paying his homage to Hemacandra. The presence of Udayana is made use of in introducing his whole previous history which Hemacandra relates on being questioned by Kumārapāla as to who the visitor was. Then follows Hemacandra's prophecy and Kumārapāla's hospitable reception at Udayana's house, exactly as in Merutunga. On the contrary, it is said that Kumārapāla remained for a long time at his host's. Jayasimha received the news of his sojourn in Cambay and sent soldiers to capture him. Pursued by the latter ho fled into Hemacandra's monastery and hid himself there under a heap of manuscripts in the cellar. The last episode is possibly a recast of the story of the first assistance of Devacandra which the Prabhāvakacaritra relates. Jinamaņdana appears to have felt that it was absurd to let Hemacandra appear op the scene first at Anhilvād and shortly afterwards at Cambay. Therefore he has probably changed the story of Kumārapāla's rescue under the palm-leaves at the latter place and has added, with a view to making it seem more probable, that the manuscripts lay in the cellar, as is always the case. Jinamaņdana's further description of Kumärapāla's wandering is much more detailed than in-both the other works, and must have had its origin in some other sources. He makes the Prince first turn towards Vațapadra-Baroda, then towards Bhrgukaccha-Broach, thence Kolbāpur, Kalyāņa, Kāñcī and other cities of Deccan and reach finally Mālvā via Pratişthāna-Paithan. A great part of this section is in verses and appears to be plagiarized from one of the many materials of Kumārapālacaritas.se