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The Ramayana Version of Puşpadanta
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the earliest of them. It is divided in two parts: Adi-Purāņa and Uttara-Puráņa. The first describes the life of Rşabha, the first Tirthankara, and the second the remaining Tirthankaras and their contemporary great men. The Uttara-Purana Includes the story of Rāma and of the Kauravas and Pāndavas. The first Purāna contains 80 sandhis and the later one 42 sandhis. The whole work contains about 20,000 verses.
Nayakumăracariu is a Khanda-Kavya in nine Sandhis. It is stamped with the name of Nanna, his patron. He composed this work at Nanna's mansion at the keen desire of Nanna and others. It was undertaken with the express intention of illustrating the fruit of observing a fast on Pancami.
Jasaharacarius also is a Khandakávya in four Sandhis dealing with the life of Yasodhara. The story of this Yasodhara is very popular with the Jains. Digambara and Svetambara writers have treated this life of Yasodhara in their works written in Sanskrit and Prakrit. The poet wrote this poem also for Nanna. And it is referred to as an 'Ornament to Nanna's ears' at the end of each Sandhi.
Both the Khanda-Kavyas are poetically of great worth. His works have earned him great fame as a prince among Apabhramsa poets.
2. PUȘPADANTA'S RĀMAYAŅA - A TABLE OF CONTENTS In the present study of ours we are chiefly concerned with the 'Story of Rāma' as found in Sandhis (or Paricchedas) LXIX-LXXIX (both inclusive) of his Mahā-Purāna. These eleven Sandhis are of varled length, each Sandhi being divided into Kadavakas, unequal in number. Thus Sandhi LXIX has the largest number of Kadavakas, viz., 35 while Sandhi 76 has the fewest number of them, viz., 10. The titles of the various Sandhis are eloquent of their subject matter. These titles serve as a table of contents:Sandhi LXIX : Rāma-Lakşmana-Bharata-Satrughna-Utpatti Nama Yäga-Ni
vārana Nāma Sandhi LXX : Sitā-Vivaha-Kalyanam Sandhi LXXI : Näradägamanam and Rávana-manah-Kęobhanam Sandhi LXXII : Sita-Haranam Sandhi LXXIII : Sugriva-Hanůmat-Kumārāgamanam and Sitā-Darsanam Sandhi LXXIV : Hanumat- Duta-Gamanan Sandhi LXXV : Väli-nihananam Rāma-Lakşmana-Vidyāsádhanam Nāra Sandhi LXXVI : Nandana-Vana-Motanam Lanka-Dāham Sandhi LXXVII : Rāghava-Răvaņa-Bala-Sannahanam
Edited by Prof. Hiralal Jain, D.J.S. Vol. I. Edited by Dr. P.L. Vaidya, Karanja Jain Series Vol. I.
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