Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 108

PRAKRIT QUOTATIONS IN THE CĀVUNDARAYA
PURĀNA
Dr. B. K. Khadabadi Cāmundarāya was a very great and interesting personality of medieval India from various points of view viz., historical, religious and literary. He was able minister and brave general under the Ganga rulers of Karnatak between 961 and 984 A. D. He encouraged the Jaina faith with a zeal which was only next to that of some of those rulers. It is he, who got the world-famous colossal image of Bahubali established on the Virdhyagiri at Sravanabeļgoļa. He was a pious royal follower of the great Mupi Ajitasena and a close disciple of Ācārya Nemicandra, generally known as Siddhānta Cakravarti, who composed a few religious works in Prakrit with the specific purpose of instructing this royal lay disciple in the essential tenets of Jainism. Camundarāya also patronized the eminent Kannada poet Ranna. Besides he himself was a literary figure of no mean order. 1 Some three works are attributed to him :
(i) Caitrasāra in Sanskrit (ii) A vrtti on, or a Pratilipi or chāyā of the Gommațasāra in
Kannada (iii) Cavundarāya Pură a or Trişaști Salākā Puruşa Purāņa in
Kannada4 1. (i) It is interesting to note at this context that 'Kavijanasekhara'
was ane of the several honorific titles of Cāmundarāya. (ii) These titles, some fifteen, have been enumerated at the close
of his Cāvundarāya Purāņa. Published in the Manikchand Digambara Jaina Granthamālā, No. 9, Bombay, 1917.
(i) This has not come to light so far, but is known by reference by Acārya Nemicandra in gāhā No. 972 of the Karma Kända of his Gommutasära.
(ii) Formerly it was believed to be a Kannada vrtti on the Gommatasära, on which the Sanskrit commentary was based.
(iii) Pt. Premi thinks that it could not be a vrtti but a 'Pratilipi' in Kannada Vide Jaina Sahitya aur Itihāsa, Bombay 1956, p. 269.
(iv) Pt. J. K. Mukhtar holds that it could rather be a Kannada 'chāyā' of the work. Vide Intro. to Purātana-JainaVakyasūci, Sarsawa, 1950, pp. 90-91.
(i) Only the portion of Adipurāna was published by the Kannada Sahitya Parisuttu, Bangalore, in 1918 and the same was revised in 1924,