Book Title: Universal Values of Prakrit Texts
Author(s): Prem Suman Jain
Publisher: Bahubali Prakrit Vidyapeeth and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

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Page 164
________________ The Bhagavatī Ārādhanā is a pretty lengthy big text containing nearly 2170 Prakrit verses among the Ārādhanā works of Jainism. The popular name of this work is Bhagavatī–Ārādhanā, but the genuine title, according to the author himself, is Ārādhanā. Bhagavatī being only an honorific appellation added by the text to qualify the practice of Ārādhanā. Prabhāchandra and Āśādhara have given the name “Mūlārādhanā' to this text to glorify the subject matter of it. It is also said that it looks quite reasonable that the Bhagavatī Ārādhanā in order to be distinguished form letter and smaller Ārādhanā texts, came to be called by the names Mūlārādhanā and Vaddārādhanā, which means big or great Ārādhanā. The subject matter of the text is in simple and direct style with popular similes and illustrations. Many of the subsequent authors of Jain literature have freely drawn their ideas from Bhagavati Arādhanā. We learn about the author of Bhagavatī Ārādhanā form this text itself that the author's name of the Bhagavatī Ārādhanā is 'Sivārya', who qualifies himself as Pani-dal-bhoi, a monk who ate his good in the cavity of his palms. He studied the scripture under Jinanandi, Sarvagupta and Mitranandi and composed this Ārādhanā text depending upon the work or composition of early Acarayas. Though we do not aware of any epigraphic reference to Śivārya as author of the Bhagavati Ārādhanā but Śivāraya or Śivakoti has been mentioned as the author of Bhagavatī Ārādhanā by many Jain Ācāryas of letter period in their works. The subject matter of the Bhagavati Ārādhanā is so popular and essential for performing the duties of Jain monks and laymen, which left such an influence on letter-writers of Jaina texts, that they wrote some important commentaries on this important and basic text. Srivijayodayā Tīkā of Aparajitasūri is an exhaustive commentary on Bha... written in between in the 5th to 10th century A.D. - 122 - Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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