Paumchariyam Part 1

Author(s): Vimalsuri, Punyavijay, Harman
Publisher: Prakrit Granth Parishad

Page 30

VIMALA SURI'S WORKS
17
was acquainted with the Garuda-sastra dealing with charms against snake-bites which is noted in the Sthananga.
9.
VIMALASÜRI'S WORKS
Next let us consider the works he wrote. A didactic poem, called Praśnottaramālā1 or VimalaPraśnottaramālā or simply Ratnamālikā is attributed to Vimala. Haridasaśastrī is of opinion that this Vimala is identical with the author of the Pañmachariya. In the closing verse the author is called simply Sitapataguru, i.e., "the teacher clad in white". The two Svetämbura commentaries, one by Devaprabha (1186 A. D.) and the other by Devendra and Manibhadra (1373 A. D.) ascribe the work to Vimala(-chandra) Sūri. It is now generally accepted that king Amoghavarsa (or his Court poet) who reigned in the 9th century wrote this poem.
The works known for certain to be Vimalasuri's are the Paamachariya' and the Harivarśachariya. The Paumachariya is the work of concern to us at present, and is studied exhaustively further on. The Harivatsa-Chariya is, however, unfortunately lost. But the fact of Vimalasari's authorship of this work is attested by Kuvalayamāla. Uddyotanasuri pays a very handsome tribute to Vimalasuri and his Harivamsa
in these words:
gean-nem-ceÝ BŘtigraft-æret væri
aleyfi fed fi efftei àu (V.L. gledel âm) firmoed u
As the Harivamsa of Vimalasūri is lost, it is not possible to know definitely what its contents were like and what version of Harivamsa it presented. Pandit Premi thinks that it would be no wonder if Jinasena's Harivamsa (A.D. 783) like the Padmacharita (of Ravişena) were found to represent (on discovery of the Manuscript of Harivarśa) an extended recension of the Harivarhsa in Sanskrit Another plausible
1. This small yet highly important didactic poem is claimed by Buddhists and Brahmins as belonging Literature, Vol. II, pp. 559-550; Dr. Haridasa Sastri (Indian Antiquary, edition, p. 68 f.; J. F. Fleet in Indian
to their writings. See Winternitz: A History of Indian Jyotiprasada Jain: Studies In The Jain Sources, Chapter IX. 1890, 378 f.); Bhandarkar, Early History; of the Dekkan, 2nd Antiquary 33. 1904, 198 ff.
2. The hypothesis of Prof. K. H. Dhruva that probably there were two Vimalasiris-the earlier one belonging to the first century A. D., who was the writer of the Raghavachariya and the later one, belonging to the 7th century, who was the author of the Paumachariya, has been shown to be untenable by Prof. K. V. Abhyankar who observes: "Theories about two writers of the same name require to be based upon two separate works of similar names being actually available with differences in style, expression and method".
See Introduction, pp. 7-8, and Foreword, pp. iii-iv, to Paumachariyam, Chapters 27 and 28, edited by S. C. Upadhyaya, R. P. Kothari & Co., Gandhi Road, Ahmedabad, 1934.
3. Kuvalayamālā, Part I (p. 3, 1. 29), edited by Dr. A. N. Upadhye, Singhi Jain Granthamālā (No. 45), Bharatiya Vidyabhavana, Bombay 7.
4. Pandit Premi translates .. प्रथम वंदनीय और विमलपद हरिवंश की वंदना करता हूँ- Jain Sahitya Aura Itihasa, 2nd edition, pp. 113-114). Dr. Bhayani construes the word 'Padhamam' differently when he says: "Uddyotanasuri refers......paranomastically to Vimalasari as the first author of Harivathéa" Paumacharin, Part I (p. 16, f. n. 4), edited by Dr. H. C. Bhayani, Bharatiya Vidyabhavana Bombay 7. 5. Jain Sahitya Aura Itihasa (p. 114), 2nd edition, 1956, Hindi-Grantha-Ratnakara (Private) Limited, Bombay.