Scindia Oriental Series No. 2 ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS CRITICALLY EDITED WITH INTRODUCTION, DISCOURSES, NOTES AND INDEX BY Dr. CHARLOTTE KRAUSE UJJAIN SCINDIA ORIENTAL INSTITUTE 19522 -digtinguished Jain Scholar and Saint Shri Muni Vidya _ Vijayaji of Shivapuri. When the devotees recite the hymns, little do they realise what wealth of historical and geographical facts is hidden in them, and how these hymns can throw light on many obscure problems of history, geography and biography of long forgotten saints and poets, A perusal of the very well written “Remarks on the Texts” will show how the illuminating analysis and study reveal many hidden facts, which were little known to the ordinary devotee. Scholars now universally realise the need of research in the old sacred literature of the Hindus— especially the Puranas, in wich numerous _his- torical facts are buried in a mass of poetic descriptions. But, few people realise the need of research in the ordinary old hymns. Dr. Krause is to be thanked for her pioneer work in this line, It is hoped that the path shown by her will be followed by some other workers as well, and systematic and scientific studies of the numerous hymns—Hindu, Jaina and Buddhist—will be undertaken, Dr. Krause deserves our hearty congratula- tions for her very thorough and illuminating study of the Jaina Hymns. ‘S. N. CHATURVEDI, Gwalior, Director of Education, September 9, 1952. ‘Madhya Bharat.CONTENTS Page Preface i Introduction I Remarks on the Texts I 1. The Munisuvrata-stavana . 1 2. The Devakuladinatha-stavana .. +. 29 3. The Varakdna-Parsvanatha-stavana ‘ .. 34 4. The Saakhesvara-Pargvandtha-stavana +» 42 5. The Tirthamala-caityavandana. . -. 52 6. The Vira-stuti se oe .. 54 7. The Mahavira-stuti .. . -. 83 8. The Simandhara-stavana ‘ ‘ae 85 The Texts— 1, Jfianasagara Sri, Munisuvrata-stavana .. 93 2, Sdrodaya Gani, Devakuladinatha-stavana .. 100 8, Hemavimala Siri, Vatakana-Parsvanatha- stavana as “a aa 105il ConTENTS 4. Nayavimala, Saakhesvara-Parsvanatha- stavana 5, Tirthamala-caityavandana os 6. Vira-stuti . “ae 7. Jinapati Siri, Mahavira-stuti 8. Simandhara-stavana « Critical Apparatus Notes . a Bibliography .. o Page -. 114 + 118 . 119 - 120 - 120 - 125 « 129 « 135PREFACE The Scindia Oriental Institute of Ujjain, well-known repository of manuscripts of works pertaining to Hindu Religion and Philosophy, and to Indian Literature in general, owns a number of manuscripts of Jaina works, Some of the latter are hitherto unpublished and even unknown, and deserve to be made accessible not only to the narrower circle of Jaina specialists, but to indo- logists in general. A selection of such texts is being published in the present volume. All of them belong to the category of hymnal literature, and are of Svetam- bara origin. Leaving aside their literary merits, some of these texts are of high interest as the creations of re- nowned authors, which, by some unexplained chance, have remained hidden from the light of publicity for cen- turies. There is a Mahavira-stuti from the hand of as old and distinguished an author as Jinapati Siriif . (born in V. S. 1210 and died in 1277). Another text, “The Munisuvrata-stavana”, so far known from literary references only, is the creation of that renowned and erudite Acarya Jianasigara Siri, who died in V. S. 1460. The author of the “Varakina-Parfvanitha-stavana’” is Hemavimala Siri, known as a Jaina theologian and as an eminent ecclesiastic dignitary, who died in V. S. 1583, and many of whose numerous disciples are, in their turn, famous for their literary achievements. Nayavimala, author of the “Satkheévara-Parsvanatha-stavana”, is identical with the celebrated ‘“‘Jiianavimala Siri”, many of whose devotional songs, Rasas and exegetical works both in Sanskrit and Gujarati, are well-known. a The “Munisuvrata-stavana’”’, moreover, is of historical interest by its reference to “Asvavabodha” or “Sakunika- vihara”, that famous shrine of the Jainas at Broach, which, believed to have been in existence already at the time of the composition of the Sacred Books, 7. ¢. more than 2000 years ago, and for the last time directly mentioned as existing at the time of Vastupila and Tejapila, i. e. about 700 years ago, is described in our text as a still flourishing place of pilgrimage of mi- raculous sanctity. Our hymn thus represents the last definite record of the existence of that sacred place, its Requiem, as it were. Similarly, the Devakuladinatha-stavana extols the sanctity of Devakula, another famous old place of pil- grimage, identical with to-day’s Delwara near Udaipur, which once resounded with the chimes of the bells from 300 Jaina temples, and is now nothing but an insigni- ficant Village with three Jaina temples, surrounded br acres of ruins.iii A whole list of such names of ancient places oby grimage is contained in the short Castyavandana, an constitutes its interest. The Vira-siuii is a striking example of onomato- poetic expression, and, at the same time, an indirect, but eloquent testimonial to the important rdle which music and musical science once played in the Svetambara ritual. The Simandhara-stavana, last but not least, is of linguistic value as another of those not very frequent specimina of late Gaurjara Apabhrathsa in its transi- tion to Middle Gujarati. Besides, it is not without poetic charm, an outcome of both the skill and the devotion of the poet, who, incidentally, was one of the great figures of earliest Gujarati Literature, if a conjecture ventured in the discourses is correct. The introduction is meant to facilitate the under- standing of the texts in their hagiographical settings, The subsequent discourses attempt to define the historical and literary background, and, so far as possible, to iden- tify the author, of each individual text. Thanks are due to my learned colleague at the Scindia Oriental Institute, Ujjain, Pt. Gopikrishna N. Dvivedi, as well as to the erudite Controller of the Institute, Dr. H. R. Diwekar, for going through the Sanskrit texts and suggesting several improvements. Difficulty I feel in duly expressing the gratitude I owe to His Highness Shrimant Jiwaji Rao Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior, who, during the raging of the Second World War, graciously granted me sanctuary in the quietude of his Oriental Institute. In the4 1Vv following Sanskrit stanzas I have attempted to express this gratitude in the way of the bards of yore: . aaaareanagga = aaa aqaEMataay emTaAeaa | qaraegttaaedaegteat dmaaapnay Rest waa TTF 18 Tas TaMPaMsiey eat aN Panera gaat we Raraetyleaeareaitiar | Fa wath qiasagteaedation ah: Bema Rast aera AMAT URI Sanaa TATA welfsaaal a fae ae saraPzar | stastetaataasaat sare aaa saa STA HSA ATGART BAT aA Ujjain, Scindia Ori i jjain, Scindia Oriental Institute, } CHARLOTTE KRAUSE. Makara Sankranti, 1947,INTRODUCTION As the ivnins published in this volume address thomsclves to Tirthaakaras, and contain allusions to not iv knewn jdcas connected with the latter and backssound, a few of the main features which aphy teaches about them, are memorized with th Jaina Viaz below, Toommust be remembered that according to Jaina Cosines y, the world of Tianan beings’, situated between the worlds of the gods on top, and the hells below, forms the centre of a pattern of ring-shaped is- Jands, alternating with oceans, of steadily increasing circumference, which are concentrically arranged around the disk-shaped “Jamba-dvtfa". The ocean immediately surrounding the Jatter is “Lavanoda’, the “Salt-sea’’. Next comes the ring-dsland of “Dhatakt-hhayda", which the “Kaloda™ or “Black Sea’’ surrounds. Then follows the island-world of “Pusharavara-dvtpa", and the further countless ring-oceans and ring-worlds, up to “Svayam- bhiiram samudra", the outermost and therefore largest of the oceans, which is alluded to in the Muni- suvrata-stavana published below (st. 21) as “carama- jaladhi", and in the Simandhara-stavana (st. 2) as “carama-siyara”. The Jatter is immediately adjacent to the “Aloka”, and thus forms the end of the world in the horizontal dimensions. VU) Tatty. 11, 72, Tk, p. 248 f,Ww following Sanskrit stanzas I have attempted to express this gratitude in the way of the bards of yore: . qa «aT AAAS SeATTIATaa | qari ta taaed meget ahaanginay gst waa wee eI Fay TeMramsia aa ant Panera gee wa Beraeleseaeareaiea | aa Teatoh qissagtaaedaiion weet: seme Rragt drat aa RI SAARI TATAAETTA waa 7 Fast ae sarnPzar | stastatelataasaat stare aaa ZAR SATA GHST TVATART BAT NAM Ujjain, Scindia Oriental Institute, } Makara Sankranti, 1947. CHARLOTTE KRAUSE.INTRODUCTION As the hymns published in this volume address themselves to Tirthaikaras, and contain allusions to not generally known ideas connected with the latter and with their background, ’a few of the main features which Jaina Hagiography teaches about them, are memorized below. It must be. remembered that according to Jaina Cosmography, the world of human beings’, situated between the worlds of the gods on top, and the hells below, forms the centre of a pattern of ring-shaped i is- lands, alternating with oceans, of steadily increasing circumference, w. vhich are concentrically arranged around the disk-shaped “ Jambu-dvipa”, The ocean immediately surrounding the latter is ‘‘Lavanoda’’, the “Salt-sea’’. Next comes the ring-island of “Dhatakt-khanda”, which the “Kaloda” or “Black Sea” surrounds. Then follows the island-world of “Puskaravara-dvipa”, and the further countless ring-oceans and ring-worlds, up to “Svayam- bhiramana-samudra”, the outermost and _ therefore largest of the oceans, which is alluded to in the Muni- suvrata-stavana published below (st. 21) as “‘carama- jaladhi”, and in the Stmandhara-stavana (st. 2) as “carama-sayara”. The latter is immediately adjacent to the “Aloka”, and thus forms the end of the world in the horizontal dimensions. U) Tatty. IIL, 7 £., Tika, p. 248 #.ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS Human beings inhabit only the central ““Two-and-a- half-worlds”’, viz., “Jambu-dvipa”, “Dhataki-khanda”, and the inner portion of “Puskaravara-dvipa”, demarcat- ed by an insurmountable ring-shaped mountain-range, the “Manusottara-parvata”, which divides this island into two concentric parts. The Tirthamala-caityavandana published below, mentions this mountain-range as containing places of pilgrimage (st. 3). “Jambu-dvtpa”, the central island of the “Manusya- loka”, is traversed, from east to west, by six insur- mountable mountain-ranges, which divide it into seven continents, viz., the two segments of “Bharata” and “Aivavata” in the south and north respectively, and, between the latter two, following one another from south to north, the five zones of “Haimavata”, “Hari- ksetra”, “Mahavideha”, “Ranvyaka-ksetra”, and “Haiva- nyavata”. The central one of these seven continents, Mahavideha, is the largest. It is diagonally traversed by four insurmountable mountain-ranges, radiating, as it were, from Mt. Meru, the hub of Jambu-dvipa. “Mahavideha” is thus sub-divided into four parts, vez., “Devakurn” and ‘Uttarakuru’” south and north of the Meru, and “Parvavideha” and “Aparavideha” in the east and west respectively. Devakuru and Uttarakuru are often grouped together as “the two Kurus”, while Parvavideha and Aparavideha are referred to as “the two Videhas”, or as “Mahavideha” in the narrower sense. Each of the two “Videhas” is again subdivided into two portions by a huge river named “Sita”, Each of those portions has eight provinces, which are known as “Vijayas”, and in fact are independent worlds of their own, the boundaries of which are untransgressible for tae human beings and animals inhabiting them. The whole of Mahavideha has thus 32 Vijayas. Such a 2INTRODUCTION “Vijaya” is referred to inthe Simandbara-stavana (st. 16). ‘sta Three out of the seven continents of Jambu-dvipa, viz., Bharata, Airavata, and Mahavideha in the narrower sense, are grouped together as the “Karmabhiamis”. There, people have to work to earn their livelihood, and Tirthahkaras appear, creating the spiritual basis from which salvation can be attained, a feat which is not possible anywhere else in the universe. Among the three “Karmabhimis”, again, Bharata and Airivata occupy a separate position. For only there, the “Kalacakra”, the “Wheel of Time”, revolves, alter- nately bringing into play, in never ending crescendo- decrescendo, periods of evolution, called “Utsarpinis”, and such of degeneration, or “Avasarpinis’, each of them being sub-divided into six “Aras” or spokes, ¢. ¢., sub-periods of increasing and decreasing duration’, Each main-period lasts ten “kotakotis of sagaropamas’*, A “Kalacakra” or “Kalpa”, 7. ¢., the aggregate of one Utsarpini plus its subsequent Avasarpini, thus lasts twenty kotakotis of “sagaropamas”. An “Avasarpint” has the following six “Aras”, the direction of development {and the order of which is simply reversed in an “Utsarpini”: (1) “Susama-susam%", the beginning of which is characterized by an optimum of physical development (1) Tattv. IV, 15, and Tika, p. 294 ff. (2) 1 kotie=1 crore or ten millions; accordingly 1 kotikoti=the square of a koti or 10,00,00,00,00,00,000. A “sigaropama” is equal to ten kotikotis of “palyopamas”, and a “palyopama”’ is the number of years which it would take to empty cylindrical container of a height and circumference of one yojana (=4 miles), Glled under enormous pressure with the finest body-hairs, if very 100 years one hair is removed. Vide Tattv. IV, 15, Bhisya, p. 294, and Prav., Dvira 1 anu 159, p. 302 ff,, where details and further specifie cations are given, 3‘ . Mi ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS and well-being of :all that breathes. Human beings have a body-height of six miles, and live up to an age of three palyopamas, enjoying undisturbed bliss, fed and clad by wishing-trees, husband and wife being born together as twins, and dying together when their time is up. There is neither fear nor pain, neither crime nor vice, nor worrying about scruples of justice or religion. But on the other hand, there is no possibility of spiritual enlightenment. No Tirthatkara is born, and salvation cannot be attained. As this period pas- ses, everything slowly deteriorates, till, after four kotakotis of sigaropamas, a certain limit is reached, which marks the beginning of the next “Ara”. (2) “Susama”, at the outset of which the body- height of man is four miles, and his maximum age two palyopamas. It lasts three kotakotis of sagaropamas. Tirthahkaras are not born. Everything deteriorates. further. (3) “Susama-dussama”, at the beginning of which men have a height of two miles and an age of one palyopama. Towards its end, the first Tithastkara appears, with a body 500 “dhanu” high, and enters “Nirvana” after a life of 84,00,000 “pirvas’”’. Three years and eight and a half months after his “Nirvana”, this period comes to an end, having lasted two kotakotis of sigaropamas, and seen the end of the wishing-trees and of the twinship of husband and wife. (4) “Dussama-susama”, during which deterioration ontinues, till at its end, the human body is only seven rasta” high, and the maximum age 100 years. It (1) 1 “dhanu’”’=4 “hasta” or cubits. 2) 1 “purva"=84,00,000 “purvaigas”, one “pirvaiga” equalling $4,00,000 years: Vide Tattv, IV, 15, Tika, p. 293, B) 1 “hasta”=1 cubit. 4INTRODUCTION lasts one kotakoti of sagaropamas minus 42,000 years. During this period, the remaining 23 Tirthattkaras out of the stereotyped “Tirthahkara-caturvirhgatika”, which, as a law, appears during an Avasarpini (as during an Utsarpini), succeed one another in gradually decreasing intervals, each inferior to his predecessor in height and duration of life. Thus, the first Tirthankara of this “Ara” {the second of the Caturvithgatika) is 450 “dhanu” high and lives 72,00,000 “piirvas” of years, while the last one reaches a height of only 7 “hasta”, and an age of less than 100 years. a” (5) “Dussama”, during which the body-height de- creases to two “hasta”, and the duration of life to 20 years. Tirthaakaras no longer appear, religion slowly lapses into oblivion, and the gate to salvation is closed again. This period sees the last of the Sddhus and the last Jaina layman. It lasts 21,000 years. an (6) “Dussama-dussama@”, during which the lowest limit of degeneration is reached. Human beings are, at the best, 1 ‘hasta’ high, and their span of life does not exceed 16 years. Religion and civilization are utterly dead. The world is populated by a miserable horde of savages, who dwell in caves, troubled by wild beasts, vermin, disease, and extremes of heat and cold, against none of which evils they are any longer able to protect themselves. Having lost the art of using fire, they live on raw fish and _ tortoises. This ever-increasing misery lasts for 21,000 years, when the first “Ara” of -the next “Utsarpini” starts, with fresh hope for a gradual improvement of things. While the chain of these six “Aras”, interminable like an endless band, goes on revolving for ever in Bharata ‘and in Airavata, there are neither Utasarpinis nor Ava- oANCIENT JAINA HYMNS sarpinis in the rest of the universe. Even in Parvavidehe and Afarvavideha, though they too belong to the category of “Karmabhimis”, time eternally stands still. All the 32 “Vijayas” invariably are in a condition of “Dussama- Susam@”, with a fair average of development, and a fair share of both work and pleasure. Tirthahkaras are always in existence there, pointing out the way to salvation, Asa rule, each group of eight “Vijayas” north and south respectively of the river Sita, always has a Tirthadkara in one or another of its parts, while it may also happen that Tirthahkaras simultaneously exist in all the 32 Vijayas. . Thus much for the Karmabhimis”. The remaining four of the seven parts of Jambu-dvipa are “Bhogabhi- mis”, whose inhabitants, exempt from the necessity of working, eternally ‘‘enjoy” themselves, living in never- changing Utopian conditions, such as prevail in the first three “Aras” of an Avasarpini, but being also pre- chided from having the darsana of a Tirthaikara. Thus, the first “Ara” always prevails in the two “Kurus”, the second in Hari-and Ramyaka-ksetra, and the third in Haimavata and Haivanyavata. All the above refers to Jambu-dvipa. The remain- ing parts of the Manusya-loka, wiz. the whole of Dhataki-khayda and the inner ring of Puskaravara- dvipa, are likewise sub-divided into a number of continents, or rather worlds, and further divisions, in such a way that these ring-islands have each two sets of exact repliqua of the seven continents described just now with regard to Jambu-dvipa. Thus, the whole Manusya-loka has all in all 15 “karma-bhiimis" (viz, 5 Bharatas, 5 Airavatas,'and 5 Mahavidehas) and 30 “Bhoga-bhimis” (viz. 5 Haima~ 6INTRODUCTION vatas, 5 Hari-ksetras, 5 Devakurus, 5 Uttarakuru3,5_- Ramyaka-ksetras, and 5 Hairanyakas) with 5 dferus, each with a separate system of suns, moons and other heavenly bodies’. We are supposed to live in the Bharata-ksetra of Jambu-dvipa in the 3rd millennium of the 5th “Ara” of an Avasarpini, the last Tirthankara of which latter, Mahavira, expired roughly two and a half millennia ago. This “Ara” is assumed to have started 3 years and 8% months after Mahavira’s Nirvana. At present, not only Bharata, but also Airavata is believed to be without a Tirthankara, while four Tirthaikaras exist in Mahavi- deha. Exactly the same holds good for the other two ring-worlds outside Jambu-dvipa, so that the whole Ma- nusya-loka has just now 20 Tirthahkaras, the sintmum number possible’, generally designated as the 20 “Vihara- ménas.” One of them is the Lord Simandhara, imagined to exist in the Aparavideha of Jainbu-dvipa, to whom one of the stavanas published below’ is addressed. The maximum number of simultaneously existing Tirthankaras, on the other hand, is 170. It is reached at periods when there is one Tirthahkara in each of the $2 ‘Vijayas” of each of the 5 Mahavidehas, and one in each of the 5 Bharatas and the 5 Airiivatas®’, This figure is considered not only as sacred, but as endowed with magical potentialities, and plays an important part in Jaina-Tantra-Sastra, as exemplified by the popular “Tijavapahutta”-stotra, which is one of the “Smaranas” of the Svetambaras supposed to be daily recited’. (li Tatty, IIT, 12-13. (2) Vide Pravac., Dviira 15, st. $27 (where, as an alternative, 10 is also given as the minimum number), (8) Pravac. loc. cit. (4) Paficaprat., Bh., p. 431 and elsewhere, 7ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS Best known among the Tirthaikaras of all the 15 “Karmabhimis”, past, present, and future ones, is na- turally the past “CaturvitSatika” of the world in which we live, 4. ¢., those 24 ones who appeared during the past two “Aras” of the present “‘Avasarpini” in the “Bharata-ksetra” of Jambu-dvipa. They are: (1) Rsabha (Adinatha), (2) Ajita, (3) Sambhava, (4) Abhinandana, (5) Sumati, (6) Padmaprabha, (7) Suparsva, (8) Candra- prabha, (9) Suvidhi (Puspadanta), (10) Sitala, (11) Sreyarhsa, (12) Vasupiijya, (13) Vimala, (14) Anania, (15) Dharma, (16) Santi, (17) Kunthu, (18) Ara, (19) Malli, (20) Munisuvrata, (21) Nami, (22) Aristanemi (Neminatha), (23) Pargvanatha, (24) Mahavira (Vira, or Vardhamana). Out of them, the first, the 17th, the 18th, the 20th, the 21st, the 23rd, and the 24th are referred to in the hymns published in this volume. The main data which Jaina tradition has handed down with regard to this group of Tirthankaras, have been presented in poetical form by Somatilaka Siri in his “Saptatisata-sthana-prakarana”’, composed in V. S. 1387'. As the name indicates, these data are 170 in number. Some of them are mentioned in our stotras too (sometimes slightly4 eviating). Such data are, e.g. : (1) The “Kalyana-pancaka”, 7. ¢., the dates of the five main events of a Tirthankara’s life, viz., conception, birth, initiation into monkhood, attainment of ommiscience, and final salvation. The Munisuvrata- stavana mentions these five “Kalyanaka” with regard to the 20th Tirthahkara (st. 15) (2) The “antarani”, i. e., intervals between the Nirvanas of two Tirthankaras succeeding one another. (1) Publ. by the Atmananda Jaina Sabha, Bhavnagar, V. S. 1975 (wi the Commentary of Devavijaya). gar, V. S. 1975 (with 8INTRODUCTION According to the law of the “Kalacakra”, these intervals’ are on a steady decline, as this Caturvimhéatika bétongs to an Avasarpini. Thus, 50 laksa-koti of sagaropamas of years intervened between Rsabha and Ajita, the two first ones, but only 250 years elapsed between Parsva and Mahavira, the two last ones. (8) The spans of their lives, which likewise steadily decrease, as the Avasarpini progresses. Thus, 84 laksa pirvas of years is given as the age of Rsabha, 30,000 years as that of Munisuvrata (mentioned in st. 6 of the pertinent stavana), 100 as that of Parsva, and 72 as that of Mahavira. This set of data, combined with the previous one, allows a kind of chronology to be established. Rsabha, the first Tirthaakara’s birth took place 84 laksa piirvas, 3 years and S$ months before the beginning of the 4th “Ara”, and his death 3 years and 84$ months before the same. As we are supposed to live in the third millen- nium of the 5th “Ara’”’, and the duration of the 4th “Ara” is 1 kotakoti of sagaropamas minus 42,000 years, this ‘leads down into mythological ages! Munisuvrata, an- other of the Tirthankaras mentioned in our texts, is supposed to have been an approximate contemporary of Rama and Sita, and to have died 1 laksa and 84,000 ‘years before Vira, or roughly 11,84,500 B.C. As he died at the age of 30,000 years, he would have been born 12,14,500 B. C. It is “also interesting to realize that Neminatha, the 22nd, is believed to have been contempo- rary with Krsna, and to have died 84,000 before Vira, ze, roughly $4,500 B. C. As he was then 1,000 years old, he would have been born 85,500 B. C. With Parévanatha, the 23rd, the dawn of history is reached. As he is stated to have died 250 years before Vira, at the age of 100 years, the date of his birth roughly comes 9ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS +0880 B. C. and that of his death to 780 B.C. He is generally admitted to be an historical personality. Ma- havira’s well-known data are, of course, history, though their accurate placing is still an object of discussion. (4) The names of the Tirthatkaras’ fathers and mothers, out of which those of Munisuvrata are quoted in our texts (st. 5 of the pertinent stavana). (5) The dynasties to which they belonged (loc. cit.). (6) Their birvth-places (loc. cit.). (7) The countries to which they belonged (loc. cit-). (8) Their colour: 16 being of brown, and each two of white, black, red, and bluish complexion. Munisuvrata’s “‘Syama-varna” is referred to in the text just quoted (st. 6). (9) The characteristic body-mavks, such as Munisuvrata’s tortoise mark (loc. cit. st. 6) or Parsva’s snake mark, (10) The body-height (for Munisuvrata loc. cit. st.6). (11) Biographical items of their previous existences. In our texts, nine previous existences of Munisuvrata are mentioned (loc. cit. st. 3-4), re. which the individual treatise infra may be referred. The Saikhesvara- Parévanatha-stavana (st. 3-4) contains an allusion to Parévanatha’s former lives in the shape of a reference to ‘Kamatha”, Parsvanatha’s hostile brother in his exist- ence as Marubhiti, a minister’sson. In that existence, which happened aeons ago, Kamatha killed Marubhiti. Subsequently, both brothers were reborn in various parallel existences, and each time, the incarnation of Kamatha hated and finally killed that of Marzbhiti. In Marubhiti’s final existence as Perévanatha, Kamatha was incarnated as Katha, a Hindu ascetic, 10INTRODUCTION who, while practising the five-fire-penant®>.ciice” very nearly burnt a. snake, which was hidden in one of the logs. By chance, Paréva, then Prince of Benares, appeared, and, awate of the plight of the snake by his supernatural knowledge, rescued. the latter. Matha resented the interference, and his age- old hatred was re-kindled. This hatred followed him into his next existence as the Asura Meghamalin, who. again tried to worry Parsva. Parsva had, in the mean- time, become an ascetic and was wandering about in the wilderness. Meghamalin caused him to ‘be at- tacked by ferocious beasts, nearly suffocated by dust-. storms, and drenched by cloud-bursts, but did not suc-- ceed in disturbing the concentration of the Lord. In the end, the snake, whom the Lord had saved, and who had become re-incarnated as Dharana, King of the serpent-demons, appeared with his consort Padmavatt, and beth protected the Lord, forming baldachins over: him with their hoods. Reproached and enlightened by Dharana, Meghamalin repented, asked the Lord’s par-- don, and, having attained spiritual enlightenment, found | the path to salvation’. Dharana, or Dharanendra, however, kept serving the Lord Parsva, and is still worshipped as his divine attendant and devotee, along with his spouse. (12) Names of the male and female deities believed to be in attendance, each couple on one of the Tirthaikaras or his places of worship, as Dharanendra and Padmavati, mentioned just now, in Parsva’s case. Both are referred to in the Sankhe¢vara-Parsvanatha- stavana published below (st. 9 and 10). These divine- (1) Cp. M. Bloomfield, The Life and Stories of the Jaina Saviour Par- gvanitha, Baltimore, 1919, Introduction, and the original works mentioned therein. ilANCIENT JAINA HYMNS ‘Attendants of the Tirthaikaras are generally known and worshipped as the Yakgas and Yaksints, or the Sasanadevas and Sasanadevis, and are often found re- presented at the side of images of the Tirthaikaras. References to these divinities in this particular function are obviously restricted to post-canonical literature: the earliest being contained in Padalipta’s “Nirvanakalika’? (according to Winternitz’, prior to the 5th century) on the Svetambara, and in Yativrsa- bha’s Tiloyapannatt? and Vasunandin’s Pratisthasa- xoddhara‘ (both about contemporaneous with the former) on the Digambara side. In Svetambara canonical lite- cede rature, the very expressions “Sasenadeva” and ‘Sisa- nadevi" do not occur, and the word ‘“Yaksa” has a different sense. Generally, it stands as a denomination of one of the eight sub-classes of Vyantaras, which Jatter, in their turn, are one of the four main categories of gods’ known to Jaina dogmatics. But that at (1) Nimavasigara Press, 1926; p. 94 ff. (2) M. Winteritz, A History of Indian Literature, Vol. II, Publ. by the University of Caleutta, 1933, p. 478. 3) Part I, Publ. by Jaina Sashskyti Sarhraksala Sathgha, Sholapur, 1943, p. 266 (IV, st. 934 fi.). (4) As quoted in Vastusira-prakarana, Jaipur City, 1036, “Pariéista”, p. 169 fi. (3) 1. Bhavanapatis, whose realm lies 1,000 yojanas below the surface of the earth, stretching thousands of yojanas into the depth, and who are -divided into the 10 sub-classes: Asura-, Naga-, Vidyut-, Supama-, Agni-, Vata-, Stanita-, Udadhi-, Dvipa-, and Dik-kumiras; II. Vyantaras, whose abodes tie 100 yojanas below the surface of the earth, and who are divided into the 8 sub-classes: Kinnaras, Kimpurusas, Mahoragas, Gandharvas, Vakgas, Rikgasas, Bhittas, and Pidicas; III. Jyotigkas, located high up in space, and represented by the several suns, moons, planets, fixed stars, etc.; IV. Vaimanikas, residing in vimanas in a layer of space high above the realm of the Jyotiskas, and represented by divinities of the highest degrees of perfection, which increases in proportion to the elevation of their abodes rom the ground. Vide Tattv. IV, 11 fl; Praja. II, Stitra 46 ff., Tiloyap. IIL, Devendrasta- ~vaprakimaka st. 15 ff. etc. 12 :INTRODUCTION least Dharana, or Dharanendra, the most popular oxthe*” Sasanadevas, cannot be meant to belong to the Yaksa— sub-class of the Vyantaras, is clear from the facts (1): that this Yaksa sub-class of the Vyantaras is stated to be ruled by two Indras only, viz., Piirmabhadra and Manibhadra!, not leaving room for a third Indra “Dhatana”, and, (2) that they are not snake-deities*,, while the Sisanadeva Dharana is most decidedly a snake-god. Obviously, he is identical with the Dharana whom Jaina dogmatics mention as the Indra of the southern section of the Naga-kumaras, the second sub-class of the Bhavanapatis’, whose emblem is the snake‘. Yet if this identity is assumed, the difficulty arises that the Sisanadeva Dharana is unani- mously described as being accompanied by his mate Padmiavati, while a list of the names of the chief-queens. of the Naga-kumara ruler Dharana* does not contain the name of “Padmiivati’’, as Professor H. R. Kapadia has. pointed out®. If the Senaprasna is correct in insisting on the identity of both, as well as on Padmavati being Dharana’s chief queen’, the name of “Padmavatt” would’ have to be taken as an original epithet or apposition: to any one of those Indranis, replacing, later on, the actual name. As thus Dharanendra, anyhow, does not belong to the Yaksa sub-class of the Vyantaras, the now prevalent technical meaning of the word ‘Yaksa’” as “divine (1) Cp. Tattv. IV, 6 and Devendrast. st. 15 ff. and 66 ff. (2) Vide Tattv. IV, 12, p. 284, Bhasya, where these Yaksas are called “vata-vEksadhvaja”, i, ¢., having the banyan tree as their emblem. (8) Vide Prajfi. loc. cit; in Tiloy. the name is “‘Dharangnanda”, (4) Tatty. IV, 11, p. 282, Bhisya (\phani-cihna”). (5) Bhagavati-sitra X, 5; Jhatadh. II, 1, etc. (6) Sobbana Muni, Stuti-caturvichéatika, Agamodaya-samiti, 1926, p. 279. (.) 4, 112, as quoted loc. cit. 13ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS attendant on a Tirthaikara” cannot directly be con- nected with the former meaning. There is more ikelihood of its being based on the meaning which the word “jakkha” bears in two isolated passages of the Uttaradhyayana-siitra’, where it serves as a ssynonymon for “deva”, and refers to gods of higher -categories, who reside in “Kalpas”, thus proving that it is not restricted to the sub-class of the Vyantaras called Yaksas. The idea that each couple of Yaksa and Yaksini serving one and the same Tirthankara, are husband and wife, as assumed by B. C. Bhattacharya’, certainly holds good in the case of Dharana and Padmavati. There is, however, no indication which would confirm this as a general principle. Nor is ‘the idea of the same scholar tenable that originally, every Yaksa was the leader of the disciples of his ‘resp. Tirthatkara, and each Yaksini his first female convert®, The very life-story of Parsva suffices tc -disprove this, as he was attended by Dharana and Padmavati before he attained omniscience and began his teaching activity. Over and above the 170 stereotyped data, out of which the above ones have been culled, tradition has handed down life-stories and legends of those 24 Tirthaakaras. Most of the latter are found collected in Hemacandra Siiri’s famous compendium ‘“Trisasti- salakapurusa-carita”. It is seen that the details available for the majority of those Tirthahkaras are (1) IHL, st. 14 and 16.—This important meaning is not given in Pt, Har- govind Das T. Sheth’s generally useful Prakrit Dictionary ‘Paia-Sadda- -Mahannavo |” @) “The Jaina Iconography”, Punjab Oriental Series, Lahore, p. 163. (3) loc. cit. p. 93, 14INTRODUCTION scanty, while there are elaborate biographies,-of afew of them, who enjoy special popularity. Their“ lives, including previous existences, form also the “subjects of individual monographs in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apa~ bhramga, and Gujarati. Adinatha, Munisuvrata, Parsvanatha, and Mahavira, to whom some of the hymns published below are dedicated, belong to that category. Much less attention than to this last Caturvim- Satika of our Bharataksetra has naturally been paid to the 24 Tirthankaras who were contemporaneous with them tn Airavata, Their names, however, are handed down’. The same must be stated with regard to the Caturvim- 4atikas who appeared previous to the latter, 7. e., in the dast Utsarpint both in Bharata? and in Airavata’, It seems that a certain tradition exists regarding the five “Kalydnakas” of those three groups‘. Lists of the names of the Tirthatkara-caturvim- Satikis destined to appear in Bharata’ and Airavata® in the coming Utsarpint are likewise handed down. These future Tirthatkaras are of somewhat stronger interest, ‘since they are linked up with the past by certain pre- dictions found in the Sacred Literature with regard to those personalities in whom they were once incarnated. Thus, Sulasa, a loyal lady-devotee of Mahavira, is to be reborn as the 16th Tirthafkara of the coming Utsarpini of Bharata. In the same way, King Srenika, the ruler of Magadha during Mahavira’s time, (1) Samav., Sittra 159, st. 66 ff. (p. 153) and Pravac.,, Dvira 7, st. 296-259, 2} Pravac., Dvira 7, st. 28$-290, and Abhidhin. I, st. 50 ff. (8) loc. cit. (4) Pirna-kgema-vallabha-vilisa, Saiigraha-kartt® Sri-Vallabhasigara ‘Gani, Necmach, V. S. 1990, Bhiga 3, p. 28. (5) Samav., Stra 159, st. 72 ff.; Pravac., Dvira 7, st. 293-295; Abhidh. a, st. 53 ff. (6) Samav., Sutra 159, st. 87 ff.; Pravac., Dvara 7, st. 159, $7 &. 15ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS and one of his laymari-followers, is to be the first, and Sri-Kixsna, cousin and layman-follower of Nemi- natha, the past 22nd Tirthatkara of Bharata, is to be the 2lst Tirthaikara of the future’. 1 At present, anyhow, those future Tirthankaras are assumed to be still roaming about in a state of rela- tive imperfection, and are, therefore, little satisfactory objects of worship. The past ones, on the other hand, are supposed to have shed their human shape, and, having attained finai salvation, to be no longer capable of action nor of interest in mundane affairs, and, there- fore, utterly out of reach of the worshipper’s imagination. Still, Térthatkava-worship forms one of the six-Avasya- kas or daily observances of every Jaina, meant to effect internal purification. In view of this aim, all the Tirthankaras are considered equal, and full scope is left to the personal liking of the worshipper in addressing his hymn or his prayer to any one out of them, or even to a particular statue at a particular place of pilgrimage, imagined to represent the Tirthaikara by “sthapana”’, What is more natural than that the worshipper should turn his mental sight towards the distant world of Maha- ~ videha, or rather of the several Mahavidenas, where at this very moment, the twenty “Vihavamianas” are wander- ing about in actual human shape, and yet perfect in their supernatural knowledge and their absolute purity oi thinking, feeling and acting, apparently much nearer in approach for the naive type of bhakti than those past and future Tirthaikaras, Both the Digambaras and the Svetimbaras have lists of names of those twenty “Vibaramanas”’, as well as a number of hymns address- (1) Samav., Sutra 159, st. 77. (; Bor the Digambara Tradition, vide “Jaina-vini-sahgraha” n VEN a’, Calcutta, V. S. 1982, Adhy3ya 7, p. 66; for the Svetsmbara one: get Hindi-Pafica- Pratikramana”, Indore, A. D. 1927, p. 523, 16INTRODUCTION ed to one or the other or to all of them. A Special fa- vourite among them is the Lord S#nandhara, to whom one of the hymns published below, is addressed. He is believed to live at present, in the full possession of omniscience, in the Vijaya “Puskaravara”’ of the Pirva- yideha of Jambu-dvipa, having a body-height of 500 dhanu (=2,000 cubits). As our poem recalls to mind (st. 16 ff.), he was born in the city of Pundarikini in the period intervening between the Nirvana of Kunthu’, the 17th, and that of Ara, the 18th Tirthankara, which ' latter is supposed to have taken place about } of a palyopama of years, i. ¢, aeons, ago. He re- nounced the world in the interval between Munisuvrata, the 20th, and Nami, the 2lst Tirthaikara, obtained omniscience subsequently, and is destined to attain Nirvana by the time when the 7th Tirthaakara of the coming Utsarpini of the Bharata of Jambu-dvipa, Udaya, will have attained salvation, 7. e., millions of years hence’. Thus much about the Tirthaikaras ccliectively. As regards the individual Tirthankara (also designated as Arhant or Jina), he is, as has already been hinted at, so free from passion that not even traces of the four “kasayas’’, viz., anger, deceit, pride and greed, mar the perfect peace of his mind. The omniscience which he has achieved, in fact presupposes the complete annihila- tion of the four types of “obnoxious karman” (“‘ghati- karman”) which Jaina metaphysics assumes, viz., (1) karman obscuring knowledge, (2) karman obscuring vision of mind, (3) karman preventing ethically correct (1) Kunthu is believed to have been born 3 palyopama, 66 lakga, 79 millennia of years and §9 fortnights previous to the beginning of the 5th tara”, (2) For further data re, Simandhara vide ‘‘Ratnasamuccaya-grantha’? Publ. by Seth Manekchand Pitambardas, Hubli, V. S. 1985, p. 202, st. 517 #, 17ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS acting, and (4) karman which produces obstruction in general. Consequently, the four infinite qualities which in fact inhere, in latent form, in every soul (the “ananta-catusha”), viz., infinite knowledge, infinite mental vision, infinite bliss, and infinite power, are. fully manifested in him. Nothing separates him from final emancipation but remnants of the four types of “non-destructive karman” (“aghati-karman”), viz., (1) karman pre-ordaining pleasure and pain, (2) karman pre-ordaining the duration of life in the respective incarnation, (3) karman pre-ordaining the characteris- tics of body and surroundings, and (4) karman, pre-ordaining family, social rank, etc. So long as particles of these four categories of karman remain unconsumed, the Saint retains his human body, and wanders about, passionless, perfect, preaching the true religion, adored by mortals, immortals and animals, Innumerable beings gain spiritual enlightenment and follow in his path, both in the figurative and the literal sense. In this way, a “Trtha” is formed, 7. e., the prototype of the fourfold community, consisting cf ascetics and laymen, both male and _ female, professing the newly revived eternal Jaina Faith, which had been dormant since the Nirvana of the preceding Tirthahkara. Many members of this Tirtha become “Kevalins", i, €., ommiscient saints, and precede the Tirthaakara to final salvation (“Moksa” or “‘Siddhi”) as Siddhas, z. ., emanzipated, perfect souls, to reside for ever at the tup of the universe, from where there is nce return into the Sathsara or circle of metempsychosis. A time comes when the Tirthaikara himself enters Moksa, his store of karman being exhausted. From .- that time onward, omniscience again becomes unattain-' able for all, excepting a few sporadic cases happening 18INTRODUCTION in the immediately following decades. The existing “Kevalins” enter Nirvana. Then, Moksa too can no longer be attained, till, after aeons over aeons, another Tirthahkara appears. The only feature which distinguishes a Tirthankara from the infinite number of likewise perfect ‘“‘Kevalins”, is the fact that the former initiates a period of religious revival, founds a ‘‘Tirtha”, whose supreme leader he remains during his lifetime, and gives, as it were, the signals for the opening and closing of the gate to salva- tion by the beginning and end respectively of his Tirthaikara activity, as pre-ordained by a peculiar type of karman, a variety of “punya” of the most exalted degree, named “Tirthatikava-nama-karman”. Not content with this definition of the personality of a Tirthankara, Jaina hagiography describes him as invariably distinguished by a number of stereotyped “eminences’. Thus, every Tirthahkara belongs to a royal dynasty, and some are ruling princes or emperors themselves, before renouncing the world. His imminent birth is announced to his mother by a chain of stereo- typed auspicious dreams. His five “Kalyanakas” are celebrated by the gods with divine pomp. From his very conception, he is equipped with supernatural knowledge, and from early childhood possesses extra- ordinary physical strength. When he prepares to re- nounce the world, he distributes, for a year, valuables of all kinds, which are continuously replenished by devoted genii. Then, seated in his royal palanquin, he moves into the wilderness, with a huge ‘retinue or mortals and immortals, halts under some tail tree, and removes, along with his royal robes and ornaments, his hair in five handfuls. Leaving his followers behind, he wanders about from place to place, a homeless ascetic, 19ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS practises severe penance, and patiently suffers hard- ships and persecutions, till he obtains omniscience. Only then, his activity as a Tirthaikara begins, in which he perseveres till his karman is consumed. Wherever he goes, gods and genii produce miraculous phenomena to his glorification. Generally, 34 miraculous phenomena! of this kind are described in Jaina texts under the name of “the 34 atisayas”, which are also referred to in some of our hymns. They are as follows: (a) 4 innate atisayas : (1) His body is of exquisite beauty, always clean, fragrant, and free from perspira- tion. (2) His breath has the fragrance of lotuses. (8) His flesh and blood are the colour of milk and free from odour. (4) The actions of eating and of evacuating are imperceptible to the human eye (or: do not take place according to Digam- bara doctrine). (6) 11 atigayas produced by exhaustion of “ghati- harman”: (1) One kotakoti of gods, men and animals find place within the space of one mile around him, to listen to his words. (2) Every living being listening to him, can un- derstand his teachings in his or her own language within that space. (3) A sun-like halo surrounds his head (1) Abhidh. I, st 57-64; Saptat., Sthina 97, 20