Treasury of Jain Tales

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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Jivandhara. This very legend forms the subject matter of Jivandharacampu by the Digambara poet Haricandra.
(ix) Ornate Poems
Like the legends of the Tirthankaras, other legends and fairy-tale themes, also have been worked up into ornate epics. The Yasodhara-carita by Vādirāja is an epic in four cantos. It is based on Uttarapurana of Gunabhadra. Another Yasodhara-carita by Manikya Sūri is based on Haribhadra's Samaraiccakahā. Dhanesvara's Surasundari cariam (end of the eleventh century A.D.) is a voluminous romantic epic in Prakrit. Maladhārin Devaprabha's Mrgavati-caritra containing one of the versions of the legend of Udayana and his two queens Vasavadatta and Padmavati is another fairy-tale epic. Caritra-sundara's Mahipalacaritra (middle of the 15th century A.D.) is an ornate epic in 14
cantos.
We have a few kathanakas (lit. little stories) developed into independent works or ornate poems. The Kalakācārya-kathānaka is probably based on an old tradition and possibly contains an historical nucleus. It is the story of the king's son Kälaka, who is converted to Jainism. His younger sister was abducted by Gardabhilla, ruler of Ujjayini. Kalaka incites rulers of S'akakula to go to war against Gardabhilla and conquer Ujjayini. Another noteworthy work of the kathanaka type is the campakasresthikathanaka (Story of the merchant Campaka) by Jinaki rti (middle of the 15th century A.D.). It presents the tale of the lucky child that is saved from destruction by the fatal letter exchanged at the last moment. This tale is widely known both in the East and the West.
(x) Katha-Kosas
The Jains, who are unsurpassed in the art of story-telling. compiled various books of stories (katha-kosas) in later times. They are in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhramsa languages. Some of the compilers of these stories are known while others are unknown. Some katha-kosas are already published, some others lie in the