Tilakamanjari

Author(s): Dhanpal, Sudarshankumar Sharma
Publisher: Parimal Publications

Page 17

INTRODUCTION
narrative 'धनपालपण्डितप्रबन्धः' recounts an incident from the life of Dhanapāla that occurred when he was in association with Bhoja.
The King went to his palace named Sarasvati Kanthābharaṇa, had some pow-wow with the literateur as to whether there happened to be an omniscient one or was there anyone well advanced in knowledge etc.? Some discussion about the authenticity of Arhantaśrī, composed by Arhata etc. Ultimately the king is convinced by Dhanapāla to take to the path of Jina'. Dhanapāla inscribing the decision about the question of Bhoja in a birch bark leaf easily alludes to the art of writing having birch bark leaflets as the material on which the scripts could be inscribed. The whole discussion gives a clear allusion to the fact that Dhanapāla having been taken to the path of Jina by Sarvajña and Sobhana tickled cunningly by Bhoja about the word Sarvajña confirms his faith in the doctrine of Sarvajña and even makes the king conform to that faith. Advancing ahead we find that Merutunga refers to the composition of Tilakamañjarī by Dhanapāla under the stewardship of Bhoja. Para 60 is very significant in this respect. Merutunga and Hemacandra are the only post-Dhanapāla authors referring to the authorship of Tilakamañjarī in the name of Dhanapāla.
Dhanapāla gone remiss in his wordly duties was tickled one day by Bhoja and in reply he feigned over-engrossment in stringing the pearls of his Tilakamañjarī. First copy presented by the Pandita, Bhoja requested him to treat him as the hero and substitute Avanti for the heroine, recount Mahākāla Stotra on the shores of Sakrāvatāra whereby he would get the cherished end of his desires. Chafed for the moment Dhanapāla slept in anxiety and awakened by his young daughter redrafted his compositions and presented a fresh copy to the king after renovating it. During the course of discussion with the king Dhanapāla had been decried by some one in Prāksta. Bhoja ultimately quelled the dispute between the two. Other
इत्युच्चरता वचनचातुर्यानिर्जितोस्मीति। तत्कस्यातिथयो यूयमिति धनपालस्यालापैः भवत एवातिथयो वयमिति शोभनमुनेर्वाचमाकर्ण्य वटुना सह निजसौधे प्रस्थाप्य तत्रैव प्रस्थापितः। स्वयं सौधे समागत्य धनपालः प्रियालापैः
सपरिकरमपि तं भोजनाय निमन्त्रयंस्तैः प्रासुकाहारसेवापरैर्निषिद्धः। -- Prab.Cint. II, Para 57, p. 36. 1. अथ कस्मिन्नप्यवसरे नरेश्वरः सरस्वतीकण्ठाभरणप्रासादे व्रजन् सदा सर्वत्रशासनप्रशंसापरं पण्डितं धनपालमालपत्
'सर्वज्ञस्तावत्कदाचिदासीत्। तत्र साम्प्रतं' कश्चिज्ज्ञानातिशयोऽस्तीत्यभिहिते, अर्हतकृते अर्हन्त श्रीनामनि चूडामणिग्रन्थे विश्वत्रयस्य त्रिकालवस्तुविषयस्वरूपपरिज्ञानमद्यापि विद्यते इति तेनाभिहिते त्रिद्वारमण्डपे स्थितः कस्मिन्द्वारेऽस्माकं निर्गमः। इति शास्त्रकलंकारोपणोद्यते नृपे, बुद्धिमात्रा त्रयोदशीति पाठं सत्यापयता भूर्जपत्रे नृपप्रश्ननिर्णयमालिख्य मृण्मयगोलके निधाय च स्थागिंकाधरस्य तं समर्प्य देव। पादावधार्यतामिति नृपं प्राह। नृपस्तबुद्धिसंकटे निपतितं स्वं मन्यमान एतद्द्वारत्रयस्य मध्यातिकमपि निर्णीतं भविष्यतीति विमृश्य सूत्रमृद्भिर्मण्डपपद्मशिलातलमपनीय तन्मार्गेण निर्गत्य तं गोलकं भित्वा तेष्वक्षरेषु निर्गमनिर्णयं वाचयंस्तत्कौतुकोत्तालचित्तः श्रीजिनशासनमेव प्रशशंश। Ibid., Para 58, p.39.