Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

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

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commentary on this text, running into 60000 slokas, and completed by Virasena in 781. A.D. at Vatagramapura (modern Wani, distt. Nasik, Maharashtra). Prof. H.L. Jain and some others following him differ as regards the date and birthplace of the Dhavala, but we have, after a detailed and careful examination, arrived at the conclusions stated above (Ibid, pp. 185-189). Another source is the Prakrit Panchasangraha, a Digambara text of unknown authorship and date, but believed to have been earlier than the Dhavala. The other works of Nemichandra are based on, besides the two mentioned above, the Jayadhavala commentary of Virasena-Jinasena, completed in 837 A.D. at the same Vatagramapure, the Sattvasthana of Kanakanandi ( circa 950 A.D.) and the Tiloyapannati of Yativrishabha (circa 2nd century A. D.)
FACTS ABOUT GOMMATASARA
Commentaries
The first known commentary on the Gommatasara was the Viramartandi, written in Kannada by Chamundaraya himself, but it is no more available. The second is the Mandaprabodhini in Sanskrit, written by Abhayachandra Siddhanta who is known to have died in 1279 A.D. The third is the Jivatattapradipika written by Keshavanna (Keshava Varni) in Kannada mixed with Sanskrit, in 1359 A.D. The fourth is a Sanskrit commentary based on Keshava Varni's work and written by Bhattarak Nemichandra in Chittor (Rajasthan) in 1515 A.D. The fifth is the Samyak-Jnana-chandrika, written by Pt. Todarmalla, at Jaipur in 1761 A.D., in the Dhundhari, a dialect of the Hindi peculiar to the Jaipur region of Rajasthan. It is a very elaborate commentary. In the present century, several editions of Gommatasara, have been published, two with Hindi, one with English, one with Marathi and one with Gujarati translations. Pt. Todarmalla's commentary has also been published.
Recently, a well-edited version of the Gommatasara, including both the parts, Jivakanda and Karmakanda, together with its hithterto unpublished Kannada commentary, The Karnataki Vrithi of Keshava Varni, and Bhattaraka Nemichandra's Sanskrit commentary, has been brought out by the Bharatiya Jnanpitha, New Delhi. The two doyens of Jaina Vidya of the present day, Dr. A.N. Upadhye and Pt. Kailash Chandra Shastri, have edited the work, and the latter has also written its valuable Hindi commentary, in which he has also made good use of Pt. Todarmalla's Samyak-jnana-chandrika. Shastriji has also prefaced the work with a learned Hindi introduction.
Abbreviations
E.C. -Epigraphia Carnatica