Raghuvilasa Natakoddharah

Author(s): Ramchandra Mahakavi,
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

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of Siva and other Puranic deities, it is contradicted by historical evidence. In the last canto of Sanskrit Dyasraya Kavya, we find Kumarapala distinctly mentioning his devotion to Siva, and secondly in the inscription of Bhava Brihaspati of the year V.S. 1259 - A.D. 1173, the last year of Kumarapala's reign, he is called "Maheswara Nrpagrani”, the foremost of Maheswara Kings. From these references it becomes clear that though Kumarapala's mode of life was changed, that though the old way of worshipping with animal sacrifice was also completely given up, he did not cease to be a worshipper of Siva-the God of his forefathers. As against this view, Muni Jinavijayaji in his article on Rajarshi Kumarapala (Bharatiya Vidya 1940 I iii pp. 221 ff) and his introduction to Kumarapalapratibodha holds a different view and states that Kumarapala formally embraced Jainism.
Jainism and Saivism were then two established religions and in Gujarat there were many respectable families where both were honoured equally. Many of the Vaisya Caste followed both. Followers of both religions were at the helm of the affairs of the State. Rituals in both religions were done through Brahmins only. The Kuladevata of both was the same. But generally speaking, the Raja Dharma was Saivism. The Raja Purohitas were Nagara Brahmins. But Jain Scholars frequently contacted the Kings and the latter gave them the same respect as to their Gurus. Siddharaja, known for his inclination for Saivism, had also got constructed the Jain Temple for Adinatha called Raya Vihara. Kumarapala had great inclination towards Jain ethics and respected Hemachandra as his friend, guide and philosopher. Hemachandra had also very liberal views on Religion and Philosophy. A story goes that a woman got her husband, attached to a concubine, transformed into a bull. Afterwards, she repented and desired him to be retransformed into a man. God Siva was passing that way and suggested a herb in that locality as a cure. She could not identify the herb and so one after the other she picked up various herbs in that locality and ultimately found the real herb. Hemachandra recited this story to Kumarapala and advised that in this Kali age one may get benefit by respecting all Darsanas with due devotion (Kayanusasana Introduction p. 45). Hemachandra's prayer to Siva is well-known. "Whatever you are by name and in whatever time, if you are free from Dosha and Papa --- you are the same Lord, Oh, Bhagavan - and I pay my Namaskaras to you." This was the liberal view of the time.
Among the main disciples of Hemachandra were Ramachandra, Gunachandra, Mahendra Suri, Vardhamanagani, Devachandra, Udayachandra, Yashaschandra and Balachandra.
This Ramachandra Suri was a Mahakavi and was the Pattadhara and principal disciple of Hemachandra Suri. On account of his poetic ability, Siddharaja had given him the title of "Kavi-Katara-Malla."