________________
११८
तीर्थंकर पार्श्वनाथ
Ajitasenacharya helped him to write 'Mahapurana' in Kannada prose. His interest in common people is clearly evident from the fact that when Sanskrit was dominant he set it aside and adopted Kannada prose as the medium of his work. Besides his two teachers, his companion-friend was Kavi-cakravarti Ranna. Their talent, qualities, attainments and inclination towards the common welfare were the sources of his inspiration. It is commonly known that the Cavundaraya-Purana is the translation and condensed form of Jinasena-Gunabhadra's Mahapurana. But some of the special features and the variations of these two works reveal to us that Cavundaraya Purana has a very distinct character which gives it a permanent place in the history of Kannada literature. Here is an attempt to go through with the narration about Parsvanath in Maha-Purana and Cavundaraya Purana.
The story of life of Parsvanatha in general is common in both the works. The names of Kamatha and Marubhuti, sons of Visvabhuti and Anunderi, follow the original Mahapurana. But Mahapurana gives more details of Kamatha and Marubhuti (73:9). The elder was like poison and sin whereas the second one was like Amrita and dharma (pious). The vast difference of characters of both brothers is made clear in the beginning. Cavundaraya has not mentioned these qualities, but development of the story reveals the qualities and nature of brothers. The mention of characteristics of these persons is made vivid by description in Mahapurana whereas the same goal is achieved by Cavundaraya with their acts.
Kamatha and Marubhuti were ministers in the Royal court of king Aravinda (M.P. 73:10), Varuni and Vasundhari were their wives. But for Vasundhari, Kamatha killed Marubhuti. This story is common in both the works (C.P. 353).
Marubhuti in his eighth birth (Bhava) as Ananda heard from minister Swamihita about the Nandisvara Jinapuja and went to
