Life of Hemchandracharya

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

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CHAPTER IX.-STORIES ABOUT HEMACANDRA AND KUMĀRAPĀLA
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According to his account, Hemacandra predicted that he would die at the end of his 84th year, and when he had reached that age, he began the last fast, customary among the Jaina ceremonies, which leads the monk surely to Nirvana. Before his death, he prophesied to his friend, who was lamenting for him, that he (his friend) too would meet his end after six months, and admonished him, being childless, to perform the last rites for himself whilst he was still alive. After he had spoken thus, "he released the breath of life through the tenth opening of the body." Kumarapala had his corpse burned and, as he considered the ashes as sacred, made a sign on his forehead with the same. All the nobles of the kingdom and the citizens of Anhilväd followed his example. Merutunga adds that even now the Hemakhanda at Anhilvad is famous for that reason. It is further said that Kumarapala passed the rest of his life in deep sorrow and after a reign of 31 years died, on the predicted day, "the death of Meditation." The latter form of expression appears to indicate that he, too, chose, by fast, the death of the wise man.
Jinamandana repeats Merutunga's account in so far as it concerns Hemacandra; but he adds a few details as regards his last years. He states that these were embittered by a schism amongst his pupils. Kumarapala, being childless and an aged man, was distressed as to the selection of a successor and was in doubt whether to appoint Ajayapala, his brother's son who had the first claim according to the custom, or the son of his daughter, Pratapamalla, as his heir. Hemacandra had declared himself in favour of the latter, for he was beloved by the people and firm in faith, whereas Ajayapala was inclined to evil passions, favoured the Brahmins and would surely put aside the laws made by his uncle. Inspite of this, Balacandra is said to have formed an intimate friendship with Ajayapala against the wish of his teacher and against the interests of his faith. Ramacandra and Gupacandra, on the other hand, remained true to their teacher. Jinamandana describes Kumarapala's end somewhat differently from Merutunga. According to his account, Kumarapala was poisoned by Ajayapala after the former had chosen Pratapamalla as his successor, following Hemacandra's advice. When Kumālapāla felt the effect of the poison, he sent for a shell in his treasury, which could chase away poison. Ajayapala had already had this removed. When the king heard this, he prepared for death according to Jaina rites and died, after having vowed to decline all food. Ajayapala then ascended the throne, being supported by the Brahmin party.
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From these accounts we can take with certainty only this much that Hemacandra died in V. S. 1229 shortly before Kumarapala. The assertion that during the last years of his life he became involved in the intrigues regarding the successor to the throne and that he attempted to exclude the rightful heir in the interests of the Jaina faith is, ipso facto, not improbable. In favour of this assertion, it may be argued that, according to all the sources there was a strong reaction against Jainism after his death, and that Hemacandra's and Kumarapala's old friends, Ramacandra and Amrabhata (Udayana's son) were particularly persecuted by the new king. Similarly, the story of Pratapamalla's being selected as successor to the throne and of Kumarapala's being poisoned is by no means incredible. However, before we declare it to be historical with any certainty, it will be necessary to have the story confirmed by older and more reliable sources than Jinamandana's compilation.
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