Life of Hemchandracharya

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

Page 70

CHAPTER IX
Stories about the intercourse between Hemacandra and Kumārapāla, and about their end
Besides the details, already mentioned, about Hemacandra's activity after Kumarapala's conversion, the Prabandhas contain still many contain still many more stories which describe his intercourse with the king and a few other events. Although most of these anecdotes are historically worthless, they may however be briefly quoted for the sake of the completeness of our work. As may be expected, their number is the smallest in the Prabhavakacaritra. This work gives only five. Merutunga, on the other hand, gives sixteen. To them Rajasekhara adds a few more. Jinamandana offers, again, something more and gives more artistic recensions by others, in which the old material is worked up in a better way. According to their contents, they divide themselves into two main groups, viz., (1) those that magnify Hemacandra's knowledge and character, and (2) those that prove Kumarapala's devotion to his teacher and affection for Jainism.
As regards Hemacandra, first of all, a large number of verses is cited which he is supposed to have composed on various occasions. Merutunga makes him sing Kumarapala's praise when the latter gave up the confiscation of the property of the childless merchant. His statement, however, does not agree however, does not agree with that of the Prabhavakacaritra. In this latter work, it is assumed that the verse, which Merutunga sscribes to the "Scholar", belongs to Hemacandra, while the one declared by Meṛutunga as Hemacandra's composition, does not at all occur. Then, Merutunga quotes a sloka, which praises Amrabhata, the second son of his patron Udayana, on account of his completing the temple of Suvrata in Broach, as well as a song in praise of this Tirthamkars. In this case the Prabhavakacaritra also has the first verse. Besides, in the Prabandhacintamani there occurs still a Prakrit-Dandaka which Hemacandra is supposed to have composed in Satruñjaya, and an Apabhramhsa hemistich, the contents of which are not proper for a monk as they refer to a dancing girl. Jinamandana has a much greater number, most of which may be found in his report of Kumarapala's fulfilment of the twelve Jaina vows, 95