Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1

Author(s): Dharmdas Gani, H C Bhayani, R M Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 84

Introduction
The Prakrit of the passage on page 937 of SP (also given by Raghavan, p. 850) is clearly Paisacz as shown by Raghavan. n for Sk. (intervocalic), preservation of Sk. t. I for I, p for initial Sk. v, sinana for Sk. snana are features characteristic of Paisaci. Due to scribal error at a few places we find as g (gamgårola for temta[ka] rala; sagaka for sataka). There is some doubt about d for t being unogriginal, because Hemacandra has noted that the language of the Paisact works was not free from Saurasent traits (Siddhahema, VIII 4-32 3). With the errors corrected the BK passage reads as follows:
भो टाल पच्छसु नो पत्थानि मतीनं तर अवहितानि । अम्हेहिं सगे गंतव्य | कथ' मिनानसाट परिहितेषु सत्य वच्चामो । अववचमानीओ लन मआमो सतकतुनो सापाता । 'माताओं च सवरिकाअ सिलाभूता इह च्चेअ वा चिदिठस्साम ||
अच्छामि वो पस्थानि जदि मे मे एक अच्छर मारिअ सपअन्थ ॥
Dharmasenagani's Date
We know nothing about Dharmasenagani Mahattara's identity or date. We have no positive evidence to say how far he was removed from Sanghadasa and Durvinita. Highly ornate style used style used in many descriptive passages of VHM, some archaic features in the phonology and morphology of its Prakrit and the use of words and expressions peculiar to the language of the Jain Agamas would favour placing him in the vicinity of, say, 790 A. D.
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Acknowledgements
As noted earlier, some preparatory work for the editing of VHM was done long back by the late Muni Shri Punyavijayji. We consider it a great honour (and it is also our humbie tribute to the sacred memory of that great scholar) to have been able to continue his work. For lending us the MSS. for the use of the present edition of VHM we are grateful to the trustees of Sri Santinath Tadpatriya Bhandar, Khambhat and Shri Hemachandracharya Jain Jnan Mandir, Patan.
We are obliged to Shri Saibaba of Hyderabad for sending us a copy of Mayrhofer's Studies in the Brhatkatha.
We thank the L. D. Institute of Indology for giving us library and other facilities and for including this work in the prestigious L. D. Series. Ahmedabad
H. C. Bhayani R. M. Shah
7th May, 1987
13. Incidentally it seems that the two illustrations
ymgal
प्रस्थ परिभ्रमतो हुवेच्य (VIII 4.323) and विजयसेनेन लपित (VIII 4 324) given in the Siddhahema are possibly taken from the Madiravan-lambha of a Paisact BK. Compare तौ च दृष्ट्वा समुयाय हो मदन-शङ्कया अोचतां नमस्तुभ्यं भगवन् कुसुमा युध । (KSS XIII 104, 12) and सुहृद् त्रिनयसेनो मां समहर्षोऽब्रवीदिदम् ( KSS XIII 104, 36 ),