Lilavati Sara

Author(s): Jinratnasuri, H C Bhayani, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 11

Lilāvati-sära
the Jaia monks. Jineśvera-sūri had numerous learned and distinguished disciples like Abhayadeva, Jinacandra, Jinabhadra, Haribhadra etc. For propagating bis reform of the Jain church, he frequently moved through various parts of Gujarat, Malva, Mewar and Marwar. Because of his reformist movement and scholarship Jineśvara-sūri has been honoured by his disciples and grand-disciples as a Yuga-pradhānācārya i.e. leading light and teacher of his age. 2
Jineśvara's chief works are as follows : (1) Comnentary on Haribhadra's Asțaka-prakaraña (composed in 1024
A. D. at Jābālipura i. e, modern Jhalor ). (2) Prama-lakṣma (composed sometime after 1024 A.D.). (3) Nivvāna-Liläval-Kaha (composed at Āśäpallı in 1036 A.D.) (Pk.). (4) Commentary on Ceiyavandana (composed at Jābālipura in 1040 A.D.). (5) Şat-sthanaka-prakarana (Pk.). (6) Pañcaliñgi prakaraña (Pk). (7) Kahānaya-kosa (also called Kathd-kośa-prakarana) (composed at Dinda
vāņaka in Marwar in 1052 A. D.) Jineśvara-sūri passed away sometime between 1054 and 1064 A. D.
3. Nivvāņa-Lilāvai-kabā No Ms. of this work is reported from any of the Jain Bhandaras and other Mss. collections. So the work sens to be lost Traditionally it is said to have the extent of 18000 granthägras (each one having a measurs of 32 syllables). and composid in Prakit Gathās. Jinesvarā's disciple Jinabhadra-süri has given at the end of his Surasundari-cariya (completed in 1039 A. D.) a short appreciation of the NL. as follows: Its diction is exceedingly beautiful, soft and lucid. It has harmonious sound texture. It employs a variety of figures of speech including paranomasia. All constituents of its structure are attractive and pleasing. Jiparatna-sūri too has called it in his present abridgement a grand narrative (mahakathă), marked by elaborate descriptions, distinguished by its quality of sweetness, a veritable ocean of fresh aesthestic emotions (apūrva-rasambudhi), and so rieb as to be beyond the grasp of ordinary persons.
Sumatiganin in his commentary on the Ganadhara-Sardha-gataka (completed in 1239 A.D.) has described NL, as fully satisfying the expectations of the learned, and conducive to renunciation. 2. For an authentic, systematic and detailed account of Jinesvara-sūri's
age, life, works and achievements along with tbe description and eval. uation of the sources for the same see Jinavijaya Muni, Kathakosa. prakarana (Singhi Jain Series, no. II, 1949), Iotroduction, pp. 2–72. The information summarized here is based on that study.