Nayakumarchariu

Author(s): Pushpadant, Hiralal Jain
Publisher: Balatkaragana Jain Publication Society

Page 42

ANALYSIS OF THE WORK
4. The present day Nāga tribes of the Nāga hills in Assam and other places probably represent the backward elements of the great Nāga race of Pauranic fame.
5. Pátāla, their chief abode, was propably a general term meaning low lands. One such abode was the southern side of the Satpuras where their traditional capital Bhogavati existed in the vicinity of the present day Nagpur.
6. The Nāgas were well known for founding great seats of learning, as for example Taxila. Another such seat appears to have existed near Nagpur where Nagarjuna, the Buddhist philosopher, had his education.
Nagaloka and the presentday Nagpur - We may now conclude that Puspadanta, while writing the present work about 965 A. J. at Malkhed, probably had in his mind the Nāgaloka round about Nagpur, and the falling of the hero, while yet young, in a well and his adoption by a Näga who taught him various arts and sciences, is his allegorical and poetic description of the hero's coming to the country of the Nāgas, like Nāgărjuna, for education, Nagpur, thus,appears to have been a great seat of learning in the past and it is in the fitness of things that the present day Nagpur University has selected the snake-symbol for its coat-of-arms.
10. Analysis of the work.
I The author begins his work with an invocation of the goddess of Speech and goes on to tell us how he was induced to write it, amongst others, by Nanna the minister of Krsnarāja alias Vallabharāja of Mānyakheta. He then tells us how King Srenika of Rajagrha waited upon Tirthņkara Mahāvīra and inquired of him about the fruit of observing the fast of Sripañcami. The latter's disciple Gautama complied with the king's request.
Formerly there was a town named Kanakapur in the Magadha country, ruled by king Jayandhara with his wife Viśālanetra from whom he had a son named Sridhara. Once a merchant named Vāsava, on his return from a tradevoyage, waited upon the king with many presents amongst which was a femaleportrait. This attracted the attention of the king who, on inquiry, was told that it was the picture of Pithyidevī, the daughter of the king of Girinagara in Saurāstra who had expressed his willingness to marry her to him. On hearing this the king sent the merchant and his minister, with many presents, to Girinagara, They brought the princess to Kanakapur where the marriage was celebrated.
II One day the king went to the pleasure garden with all the inmates of his harem. Both his queens came out with their retinue and Pfthvidevi was dazzled to see the splendour of her rival's entourage. Being overcome with a feeling of jealousy she went to the temple to pacify her mind. There she worshipped the Jina and learnt from sage Pihitāśraya that she was soon going to be blessed with a son. She returned to the palace feeling very happy.
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