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that assures the heroine that the message is from her lover. Prameyaparinişthāpanai-- proper conclusion of the treaties by ending the theme on a happy note is the usual practice of the poet. Meghaduta has inspired many authors to compose Dütakavyas, but one thing is clear that later Dūtakävyas have pretty little original to offer to the reader. The form and content in later Dutakāvyas in more cases than one is borrowed from the Meghadūta of Kālīdāsa. Six or seven of them are written on the popular style of Samasyāpürti where generally one line from the Meghadūta is conjoined with three lines of poet's own creation.
The description, in brief, of the works of Jaina Dūtakāvyas are as follows:
Pārsvabhyudaya (c. AD 783) by Jinasena, the famous Digambara author of Harivansapurăņa, is divided into 4 cantos, containing 364 verses in Sanskrit. The first and second cantos contain 118 verses each while 3rd and 4th have 57 and 71 verses, respectively. It is composed in Mandākrāntā barring the last 6 verses- 5 in Mālini and the concluding one in the Vasantatilakā-- of the 4th canto. The poem imitates Meghadūta in all respects with the difference that at places the dull and the drab description impeded the flow of the work. It gives the elaborate description of the Upasargas caused to Pārśva in meditation by a demi-god. This demi-god was in his previous birth the soul of Kamatha, the younger brother of Marubhūti, the soul of the Pärśva in his earlier existence. Kamatha also called Katha Tāpasa, reborn as Śamvara or Sambara according to Digambara tradition and Meghamäli in Svetāmbara tradition, tried hard to shake Pārsva from his trance. For seven days he poured heavy rains, made terrifying sounds and hurled rocks at him. To frighten Pārśva he conjured up lions, scorpions, terrifis Vetālāgni and ghouls who spit fires from their mouths. But the great sage, unaffected by this harassment, remained steadfast in his meditation. Dharana, the Indra of Nägakumāra, remembering the good turn done by Pārśva in his previous birth, came to his rescue. Standing behind him the Nāgendra held a canopy of his seven hoods over the Jina's heads in order to protect the lord from rains, bombardment of rocks, etc. His villainy going fruitless, the lord of the demons relented and bowing down before the lord, seeking as
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