Book Title: World of Conquerors
Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: Natubhai Shah

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Page 107
________________ importance to students of botany and Ayurvedic Medicine. The fifth, sixth and seventh volumes are popular works of poetry and Prakrit and apabhransa metres. The eighth is of great historical importance as it is the biography of Kumarpala. Naatyadarpana, Kumaara vihaara sataka and Dravyaalankara were written by Hemcandra's disciple Ramacandra. The first contains dramatic poetry and plays, the second, a description of a temple built by Kumarpala at Patan, and the third, a text on philosophy. Several plays, of two to five acts, were written in the twelfth century. Kirtikaumadi by Somesvara, and many other works in praise of Vastupala and Tejapala, and Kumarpala were written by various authors. Balabharata (summary of Mahabharata) and Jinendracarita (short verses on the twentyfour tirthankaras) were written by Amaracandra Prabhaavakacarita is the historical account of 22 great Jains from Vajrasvami to Hemcandra, written by Prabhacandra. It describes the destruction of Taksasila by the Muslims, and provides other history of the period. Prabandhacintaamani by Merutunga is a history up to the fourteenth century. Vividhatirthakalpa by Jinaprabha gives a systematic account of the Jain tirthas (places of pilgrimages). Kharataragaccha brahadgurvavali by Jinapala gives an account of the activities of gurus of Khartara gaccha, the relationship between their well-known monks and contemporary rulers of North India and the tirthas Vijnaptilekhasangraha is a collection of letters between Svetambar monks of differing locations, describes various tirthas and social and religious customs Drvyapariksaa by Thakkura Pheru in the fourteenth century discusses contemporary coins of Ala-Ud-din and various other coins from India. Hiravijay composed many useful works, and other monks also composed hundreds of works. From other texts, we find Svetambar monks wrote on every aspect of Indian life, and their literary activities are heritage for India. The Digambars have produced a very important philosophical and technical literature, which is useful to students of metaphysics and philosophy. The Mulaacaaras of Vattakera is the earliest Digambara non-canonical work. It describes various practices of the monks, has 1252 verses and is divided into 12 parts (adhikaara). The language of this work assigns it to the fifth century CE. The Bhagavati Aaraadhanaa was composed by Panitalabhoji Sivaarya (Sivakoti) in the fifth century CE. It contains 2100 verses, deals with the conduct of ascetics and has references to Kalpa, Vyavahara, Aacaaranga and Jitakalpa Sutras. The Tiloyapannati by Yativrasabha is a famous work of the fifth century CE on Jain cosmography. It has 8000 verses and is divided into nine sections. The Svaamikaarttikeya anupreksa is a popular work from the early centuries CE by Svaami Kumaara, which explains 12 anupreksas (reflections). Gommatasaara by Namicandra is an important work of the tenth century CE, consisting of Jivakaanda (733 verses) and Karmakaanda (972 verses). It describes Jain philosophy, and is considered the essence of the discourses of Mahavira (Jindal 1988: p.94). Jivakaanda describes the natural characteristics of jiva and the means and the stages of their development. Karmakaanda discusses the obstacles producing karma, which must be shed to attain 107

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