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INTRODUCTION
1. INTRODUCTORY The Jainas and especially the Digambaras deserve great credit for continuing the Sanskrit and Prakrit Epic, Puranic and Mahākāvya traditions in their highly precious contributions to Apabhraṁsa literature. Along with Caturmukha, Puşpadanta and several others, Svayambhū's name stands in the front rank of Apabhraíša poets and scholars. His poetical works, and especially his two voluminous epics dealing with the narrative of Rāma and of the Pandavas and Krsna had earned him the cherished titles of Mahākavi and Kavirāja. His manual of Pk. and Ap. metres is invaluable for us for the light it throws on the pre-ninth century literary activity in Pk. and Ap. Held in high respect by Puşpadanta and many others, his position cannot be overestimated.
These facts would serve as sufficient inducement for any one interested in bringing to light MIA. materials and sources for the study of Indian literature and culture, to undertake publishing the works of Svayambhū. Of his two Ap. epics the Paümacariu (Pc.), Sk. Padmacaritam, containing the Rāma-story in accordance with the Jain tradition is proposed to be published in the first instance.
The Paümacariu has ninety Sandhis and is divided into five Kāndas or Books. For the purpose of the present thesis I have critically edited and studied the first of the five Kāndas, called the Vijjāhara-Kanda, Sk. Vidyadhara Kānda, which comprises the first twenty Sandhis of PC. The general studies contained in Introduction and Index in the present work are confined to the Vidyadhara-Kānda alone.
2. CRITICAL APPARATUS AND TEXT-CONSTITUTION
Critical Apparatus. The Jinaratnakośa' records only one Ms. of Svayambhū's Paümacariu. It gives the following information under the entry Rāmāyanapurana:
by Caturmukha Svayambhudeva. It is written in the Apabhramśa language. It was begun by Caturmukha Svayambhū and was completed by his son, Tribhuvana Svayambhū. It contains 90 Sandhis.... (Bhandarkar)
V Report No. 1120. Since the Jinaratnakośa is compiled from the published Mss. catalogues only and since the Mss. collections of many Jain Bhandārs have not been catalogued, the possibility of tracing other Ms. or Mss. of PC. was quite obvious. And through the efforts of my guide Ācārya Jina Vijaya Muni and others I succeeded in securing another and later on a third manuscript of PC. The source
(1) Velankar, 1944. (2) This is an error. Due to an incorrect interpretation of certain references
from PC., scholars were led to confuse Caturmukha and Svayambhū, who are quite different poets. See Premi, 1942, 370-373.
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