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PAÑCA-PARAMEȘTHI-STUTI
( In Apabhramía ) From Vilāsavai-Kabā of Saharana ]
R. M, Shah
Siddhasenasuri alias Sahārana' Kavi (11th cent. A.D.) is famous for his Vilasavai-Kaba, an Apabbramsa Mahakāvya. The piece selected occurs in 11th Sandhi of the VK, as a prayer of five Parameschis offered Sanatkumāra, the hero of the Mabākavya.
• In the Prasasti of the VK, the author says that he is wellknown for his stotras which are cited by people all over the country.'2 Unfortunately, most of these stotras are lost. The stotra published hercwith is, thus, the only example to show the learned poet's mastery over stotra-composition,
The stotra consists of the prayer to Panca Paraneșthis. Stanzas 2-5 are dedicated to Jinas, St. 6-9 to Siddhas, St. 10-13 to Acāryas, St, 14-18 to Upadhyāyas, St. 19-23 to Sadhus. St. 24-26 are general. The conclud ing stanza 27 contains the namamudras-Siddhasūri and Saharaṇa of the poet as was the custom with Apabhramsa writers.
The poet used four different metres in the Stuti(i) Chaddania (St, 1); (li) Vadanaka (Sts. 2-13)
(iii) Lalataka (Sts. 14-23) and (iv) Madanavatāra (Sts. 24-27),
. Both Mss. (po and go) used for text-construction are photostat copies of the palmleaf mss. of Jesalmer.3
1 Visāsayai-Kahā with critical study edited by Dr. R. M. Shah is to be published
shortly by L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. 2 साहारणो त्ति नाम सुपसिद्धो अत्थि पुव्व-नामेणं । . ab-491 FFA afersifa hili
-VK, Prasasti. 3 Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Mss., Jesalmer Cellection, Ed, by Muni Punyavi.
jayji, Ahmedabad, 1972. pp. 111-112.
