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PROSODIAL PRACTICE OF SIX JAINA POETS (10TH TO 13TH CENTURY A.D.)
Nagendra Kr. Singh
[Mr. N. K. Singh attempts to analyse and ascertain the metrical practices of Siddha Hemacandra and five others of 10th-13th centuries A.D. It provides us idea which metres they employed for sustained narration and which metres were used for variation.
Editor]
1. Amaracandra (13th century, middle) :
He was a Jain monk, pupil of Jinadattasüri of the Vayada Gaccha. He was a voluminous writer and lived during the reign of King Viśāladeva of Ahnilavād (A.D. 1243 to 1261). Kāvyakalpalată, Padmānandakāvya and Balabhärata are bis important works.
Balabhārata is a mahākāvya on the theme of the Mahābhārata, as its name suggests. It contains 19 cantos in imitation of 18 Parvans of the original epic together with the Harivaṁsa. The total number of stanzas in it is 5482. Published in the Kāvyamālā, No. 45, Bombay, 1894.
The author employs 23 metres in all in this poem. The following metres are used for a continued narration in the cantos Anussubh (14 times), Āryā (once), Upajāti (13 times), Drutavilambita (once), Pramitākṣarā (once), Mañjubhāșiņi (once), Mālini (once), Rathoddhatā (thrice), Lalitā (once), Vaṁsastha (once), Vasantatilakā (twice), Viyogini (twice), and Svāgatā (4 times).
2. Bālachandrasuri (13th century, 2nd half):
He was the pupil of Haribhadrasūri of the Candra Gaccha. He was a Jain monk patronized and respected by Vastupāla, the prime minister of King Viradhavala of Dholka. He composed the poem Vasantavilāsa to glorify this minister at the request of the latter's son Jaitrasinha, after his death, i.e., after 1240 A.D. Another work of the author is a drama called Karunavajrayudha. The Vasantavilāsa Kavya contains 14 cantos and a total of 1007 stanzas. It is published in the Gaek. G Series. No. VII, Baroda, 1917.
Bālacandra employs 25 different metres, 4 among them are Matra Vrttas, namely Giti, Padakulaka, Malādhruvaka and Vidyadharabāsa, the
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