Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

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

Page 43

VAISHALI RESEARCH BULLETIN NO.3
known as Candana-malayagiri. Between the 12th and 15th century A.D. Jains have composed a number of stories about the life of king Vikramaditya of Ujjain. In these stories, the king has been converted to a Jain saint, who cannot refuse the request of any beggar and is ready to sacrifice himself for others. The Pantcadandacchatrakatha of Vikramãdi. tya has been popular with Jains. A later work known as Pañicadandatmakam Vikramacaritram was composed by Ramacandra in the 15th cent. ury A.D. The language used here is not pure Sanskrit but is mixed with popular Marwari dialect.?
The Study of Motifs
1. The enormous variety and richness of motifs in Prakrit Jain narrative literature reflects a state of culture through which it has passed. The motifs are mainly based on popular folk-tales and the variety of them noticed in Prakrit tales establish their relationship with literature. The study of these motifs is helpful in tracing the common origin of world-wide story literature, the development of stories and how they are linked with international relationship and which of the stories at what stage, transmigrated to the other part of the world. Unfortunately, much of the precious material that was of curiosity and interest has been entirely lost to us, and is disappearing fast under the impact of urbanisation, and scientific and technological advancement. In the circumstances, whatever little remains in the form of primitive manners, customs, observances, superstitions, ballads and proverbs of olden times, has to be rescued with great effort. A yeoman service has been rendered in this field by a number of western scholars. Besides the 266 tales contained in the village Folk-Tales of Ceylon ( in three parts) by H. Parker, 3000 stories from India and adjacent countries like Ceylon, Tibet, Burma and Malay Peninsula have been published. “The e stories are of folk-tale types, including myths, hero legends, fables, drolls, maerchen of all sorts, cumulative stories and ballads.8
6. Ramesh N. Jani, "Jain and Non-Jain versions of the popular Tale of
Chandana-Malayagiri from Prakrit and other Early Sources”,
Mahavira Vidyalaya Suvarnamahot sava Grantha, Bombay, 7. Winternitz, A History of Indian Lilerature, III, p. 1,377; JSBI, Vi,
374-80. 8. W. Norman Brown, "The Relation of Modern Indian Folk Tales to
Literature," 1-54, Journal of American Oriental Society, 7AOS, 39. In part II of the article, the author deals with the Pañcatantra stories represented in the Hindu folklore; part III contains discussion of individual stories. In Appendix, Bibliography of Indian Folk-Tales ( 43-54 ) is provided.