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THE CONTRIBUTION OF JAIN AUTHORS TO
SANSKRIT CHANDAHSĀSTRA
G. S. Shah
Poets writing in verse express their emotions and thoughts in different metres. The Chandaḥśāstra (prosody or metrics) describe the metres (chandas) used by the poets. It defines and illustrates different Vedic and Laukika metres. A śāstra of Vedic metres is called a Vedānga. According to the 'Pāṇiniya Śikṣā, Chandaḥ - a Vedānga - is called the feet of the Vedas. 1 A śāstra of 'Laukika' metres can be called a 'Kāvjānga'. Chandah, like 'Alamkāra', is an external element of poetry. A number of authors has contributed to the development of Chandaḥśāstra.
Even though metres are discussed in the 'Reprātiśākhya', 'Nidānasūfra', 'Sarvānukramani', 'Upanidānasūtra' etc., Pingalācārya is considered to be a pioneer of this śāstra. Pingala in his work named 'Chandaḥšāstra' or 'Chandahsūtra', has mentioned Krauştuki, Yaska, Tāndin, Saitava, Kāśyapa, Rāta and Māndavya. But their works have not come down to us. So we know very little about these writers. In the history of Chandaḥśāstra, Jayadeva, Svayambhū, Jayakirti, Ratnamañjūşākāra, Hemacandrācārya and Kavidarpaņakāra are the Jain authors who have contributed substantially to the development of this śāstra. In this article I intend to throw some light on their contribution.
JAYADEVA-Taking Pingala as a model, Jayadeva has written Jaya. deva-chandas' in eight chapters.
We do not know the exact date of Jayadeva. H. D. Velankar puts him before 900 A.D. or even considerably earlier. 3 According to P. K. Gode he lived before 910 A.D.4
Utpala Bhatta (nearly 10th Century A. D.), a commentator of ‘Bphatsaṁbita' of Varāhamihira, has quoted definitions of 'Suvadana' and 'Mandākrāotā' metres (7/22 and 7/17) from Jayadevacbandas'. Bhatta Halāyudha (10th Centry A. D.), a commentator of Pingala's 'Chandah. śāstral and Sulbaņa (11th Century A. D.), a commentator of Kedāra's •Výttaratoakara' have mentioned Jayadeva as Sveta pata'.5 Abhinavagupta menţions Jayadeva in the 'Abhinavablārati', a well known commentary
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