Vajjalaggam

Author(s): Jayvallabh
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 54

INTRODUCTION
most of the stanzas of the al (st. 472-496) and 11 (st. 560-578). Subtle insinuations of erotic relatiors and attitudes (both physical and mental ) are found in वाहवज्जा, करहयज्जा, मालईवज्जा, (st. 235) fat (st. 252) and (st. 491-496).
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Although Jayavallabha, the compiler of the VL, was a Jaina by faith, as shown by the homage paid to the Suyadevi and the Omniscient Jina in st. 1 and as stated by the commentator Ratnadeva in his remarks on that stanza, there are in the VL only a few allusions to Jainism, while the allusions to the Brahmanical (Hindu) religion and Mythology are numerous. Laber (op. cit. p. 8) regards this as an evidence to show that Jayavallabha did not derive the stanzas in the collection from Jainistic literature. We can however regard this as an indication of a liberal mind free from narrow, sectarian outlook. The following are the allusions to Jainism in the VL: (1), the Omniscient Jina and Suyadevi, the goddess presiding over sacred learning ( st. 1): (2) वितरसप्प (व्यन्तरसर्प) (st. 58 ); (3) श्रीपर्वत and the सिद्धs (st. 487), (4) gmaka (gfaaka) (st. 152) and (5) Kaspaṇakas (st. 153). On the other hand the allusions to Hindu religion and mythology quite abundant. Only some of them are mentioned below: (1) the Hindu Trinity - Hari, Hara and Brahman ( st. 111 and 128 ); (2) worship of God Śiva (st. 290) and of his phallic image (st. 523, 531, 532*1 ); (3) Vāmanavatāra and Balibandha ( st. 172 ); (4) Vişņu reposing on the milk-ocean with Laksmi (st. 118); (5) the Sagara-mathana and its aftermath (st. 19, 32, 107, 131, 132, 258, 381, 747, 751; 755-760 ); (6) Brahman seated on the lotus growing out of the navel of Visņu (st. 611), and Garuda, son of Vinata and enemy of snakes, as the loyal attendant of Viṣṇu (st. 598); (7) Śiva riding a bull (st. 70, 290, 371 ) and his son Kārtikeya riding a peacock (st. 371); (8) Gauri (Pârvati) spoken of as fused with Siva and as forming a part of his body (st. 390, 609); (9) Śiva using the moon to adorn his head (st. 268,269, 371, 372, 488, (06, 656) and snakes and skulis as ornaments for his body (st. 578*1, 652*1); (10) one whole section (F, st. 590-605) is devoted to the description of the early life of Kṛṣṇa in Gokula, his exploits against the demons Ariṣṭa and Kesin and his tender relations with the Gopis in general and with Rādhā and Viśākhā