Lilavati Sara

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

Page 13

Lilavati-sära
ganin helped the author in correcting the text. Saumyamurti-ganin, who was expert in metrics, grammar, logic, rhetorics and literature, and who had considerable experience in correcting literary compositions helped the author, along with...ganin, in preparing the first copy of the text.
In his prefatory remarks given in the beginning of the first Utsäha of LS. Jinaratna has paid homage to Jinavallabha-suri, and to his Guru Jinesvara-sūri. He has also clarified his purpose and aim in preparing the abridgement of NL. There were people who were interested just in the story or the narrative proper. So for them he has dropped all the poetic descriptions and embellishments found in the original. In such a type of undertaking he has been guided by earlier precedents like the abridgement of Dhanapala's Tilakamañjart. He has appropriately described his work as an itivṛttoḍdhära of the mahakatha Nirvana-Lilavati.
2. SUMMARY OF THE LILAVATI-SARA
Canto 1
Birth Of King Simba, His Coronation, Religious Debate and Arrival of
Samarasena-Suri
The first canto begins with the auspicious the auspicious salutations to Ṛsabha, Vardhamana, the intervening twenty-two Tirthankaras, Sudharmasvamin, Jinavallabha-sü'i and Jinesvara-süri, Praise and importance of the Nirvana. Ilavat (Vss. 1-10). Purpose of preparing the Lilavat-sāra. Its characteristics (11-17). The central characters of the story are King Vijayasena, merchant Purandara, minister Jayasasana, the royal priest Süra and the caravan-leader Dhana. The central event of the story is that all these listened to the stories of Ramadeva and others from, and consequently got initiated in the Jain Order at the hands of, Sudharmasvamin, and ultimately all of them attained deliverance after several births during which they had been born as king Simha and others (18-19).
King Jayadharma of Rajagṛha was a Jaina by religious faith (20-26). His queen Padmavati saw a woman breast-feeding her child (27-32), This aroused in her the painful consciousness of her childlessness (33-39). The king came to know of this plight of his queen and consulted the experts, one of whom suggested to them to propitiate the Yaksa who was the protector of the Jain Order. The royal couple started performances of worship (40-46). Shortly a god from heaven descended into the womb of the queen.