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Rșidattācaritra-samgrahah
A Review : Narayan M. Kansara
Rsidattācaritra-samgrahah : composed by different authors; edited a collection of all the available narratives treating the life of Rsidattā in the various epics and other references about the biography of Rsidattā in the Jaina Agama texts. The biograpphies included in this voluminous work are : (1) the “Rsidattācaritra” of Muni Gunapāla; (2) the “Rsidattā-caritra” of some unknown author; and (3) another "Rsidattā-caritra” of some other unknown author. In three appendices given at the end of the book are: (1) the “Rsidattā-kathā” included in the Madhyama-khanda of the Vasudevahindī of Sri Dharmasenaganimahattara; (2) the “Rsidattā-ākhyāna” included in the Akhyānakamanikośavrtti of Amradevasūri; and (3) the “Rsidattă-kathā” included in the Silatarañgini-vrtti of Jayakīrtisūri on Sīlopadeśamālā of Somatilakasūri.
It has been published, with the title “Rsidattā-caritra-samgrahah”, by the Bhadrankara Prakāshana, Ahmedabad, 2011.
The details of the life-story of Rșidattā are as follows :
There ruled the King Hemaratha in the Madhyadesa of the Bharatakşetra, his queen was named Suyaśā. They had a son named Kanakaratha.
And, there ruled the King Sumdarapāni in the city named Kāverī, and his queen Vāsulā. They had a daughter named Rukmiņī.
When the daughter entered the fresh youth, the mother adorned her with all possible ornaments and sent her to her father. On seeing the daughter sitting in his lap, the king was overcome with anxiety, as to whom should this youthful daughter should be married to. The, he remembered that the
This review is but the English rendering of the brief gist of the story of Rşidattā as given by the author in the beginning of the book.
