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Prabandha
Prabandha is a literary genre of medieval Indian Sanskrit literature. The ''prabandha''s contain semi-historical anecdotes about the lives of famous persons. They were written primarily by Jain scholars of western India (Gujarat and Malwa) from 13th century onwards. The ''prabandha''s feature colloquial Sanskrit with vernacular expressions, and contain elements of folklore. Definition The ''prabandha''s are semi-historical anecdotes about famous persons. The '' Prabandha Kosha'' of Rajashekhara Suri mentions two types of biographical narratives: ''charita''s and ''prabandha''s. It states that the ''charita''s are the life-stories of tirthankaras, kings and religious leaders up to Aryarakshita-Suri (who died in 30 CE). The biographies of persons born after Aryarakshita-Suri are called ''prabandha''s. It is not clear if this is Rajashekhara's own definition or if it is based on some other authority. However, several later texts do not abide by this definition. For example, there ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vastupala
Vastupāla (died 1240 CE) was a prime minister of the Vaghela dynasty, Vāghelā king Vīradhavala and his successor Vīsaladeva, who ruled in what is now the Gujarat region of India, in the early 13th century. Although he served in an administrative and military capacity, he was also a patron of art, literature and public works. He, together with his brother Tejapāla, assisted in the restoration of peace in the kingdom, and served in a number of campaigns against Lata (region), Lāṭa, Godhra, Godraha, Kutch district, Kutch and the Delhi Sultanate. The brothers were instrumental in the construction of the Dilwara Temples, Luniga-vasahi temple on Mount Abu and the Girnar Jain temples, Vastupala-vihara on Girnar. Ancestry and family Vastupala and his brother Tejapala were born to a Pragavata, or Porwad as they are known today, Jain family in Anahilavada Patan (modern day Patan, Gujarat). Vijayasenasuri, a Jain monk of Nagendra Gaccha, Gachchha, was their clan guru. Extensive info ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nabhi-nandana-jinoddhara-prabandha
The ''Nābhi-nandana-jinoddhāra-prabandha'' is a 1336 Sanskrit book in the prabandha genre written by the Jain scholar Kakka Suri (Kakkasūri). The main objective of the book is to record the renovation of the Rishabhanatha Jain temple on Shatrunjaya hill in Gujarat, during the Delhi Sultanate rule. The work also provides other information, such as a history of the author's spiritual lineage ( gaccha) and a description of the Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji's military conquests. Background During Alauddin Khalji's conquest of Gujarat, some Jain temples in Gujarat had been desecrated. In 1315, Alauddin's governor Alp Khan allowed restoration of these temples. Samara Shaha, a wealthy merchant from Patan, led a large pilgrimage to Shatrunjaya, and carried out a renovation of the temples in a grand ceremony. His guide was Siddhasuri, an acharya of the Upakesha-gaccha. This was the fifteenth renovation of the Shatrunjaya temples. During the seventh renovation, an image from th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prabandha Kosha
''Prabandha-Kosha'' (IAST: Prabandhakośa) is an Indian Sanskrit-language collection of ''prabandha''s (legendary biographical narratives). It was compiled by the Jain scholar Rajashekhara Suri in 1349 CE. It describes the lives of 24 people, including 10 Jain scholars, 4 Sanskrit poets, 7 kings and 3 Jain householders. It is also known as ''Chaturvinshati Prabandha''. The content of the collection is based on the information that Rajashekhara obtained from his teacher Tilakasuri. He composed the work at Delhi, under the patronage of Madanasimha, whose father had been honoured by Shri Mahamad Shahi (probably Muhammad Tughluq). Only the 7th ''prabandha'' in the collection (the one about Mallavadi-Suri) is written completely in verse form; the rest of the ''prabandha''s use colloquial Sanskrit prose. Content The ''Prabandha-Kosha'' contains 24 ''prabandha''s (anecdotes), with 4,300 shlokas (verses), on the following persons: Suris (Jain scholars) # Bhadrabahu and Varahamihira ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jain Literature
Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initially transmitted orally. The oldest surviving material is contained in the canonical ''Jain Agamas'', which are written in Ardhamagadhi, a Prakrit ( Middle-Indo Aryan) language. Various commentaries were written on these canonical texts by later Jain monks. Later works were also written in other languages, like Sanskrit and Maharashtri Prakrit. Jain literature is primarily divided between the canons of the ''Digambara'' and '' Śvētāmbara'' orders. These two main sects of Jainism do not always agree on which texts should be considered authoritative. More recent Jain literature has also been written in other languages, like Marathi, Tamil, Rajasthani, Dhundari, Marwari, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and more recently in English. Beliefs Jains believe their religion is eternal, and the teachings of the first tīrthaṅkara, Ṛṣa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prabandha-Chintamani
''Prabandha-Chintamani'' (IAST: Prabandha-cintāmaṇi) is an Indian Sanskrit-language collection of '' prabandhas'' (semi-historical biographical narratives). It was compiled in c. 1304 CE, in the Vaghela kingdom of present-day Gujarat, by Jain scholar Merutunga. Contents The book is divided into five ''prakasha''s (parts): # Prakasha I #* Vikramarka #* Shatavahana #* Munja #* Mularaja # Prakasha II #* Bhoja and Bhima # Prakasha III #* Jayasimha Siddharaja # Prakasha IV #* Kumarapala #* Viradhavala #* Vastupala and Tejapala # Prakasha V #* Lakshmanasena #* Jayachandra #* Varahamihira #* Bhartrihari #* Vaidya Vagabhatta Historical reliability As a work of history, ''Prabandha-Chintamani'' is inferior to contemporary historical literature, such as the Muslim chronicles. Merutunga states that he wrote the book to "replace the oft-heared ancient stories which no longer delighted the wise". His book includes a large number of interesting anecdotes, but many of thes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kumarapala (Chaulukya Dynasty)
Kumarapala () was a ruler from the Chaulukya (Solanki) dynasty of present-day western India. He ruled present-day Gujarat and surrounding areas, from his capital Anahilapataka (modern Patan). Kumarapala was a descendant of the Chaulukya king Bhima I. The information about him largely come from two sources – the numerous Sanskrit and Apabhramasa-Prakrit language inscriptions and the Jain texts. These provide a highly inconsistent historical profile in some respects, and corroborate each other in some. Both portray Kumarapala as a keen and generous patron of arts and architecture, one who supported the divergent religious Indian traditions in Western India, particularly Gujarat and Rajasthan region. Kumarapala inscriptions predominantly invoke Shiva – a Hindu god, and they do not mention any Jain Tirthankara or Jaina deity. The major Veraval inscription calls him ''Mahesvara-nripa-agrani'' (worshipper of Shiva), and even Jain texts state that he worshipped Somanatha (Somesvara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prabhavaka Charita
Prabhāvakacarita (Life of the Prominent) is a Jaina text devoted to history, composed by Prabhācandra, an '' acarya'' of the Śvetāmbara tradition of Jainism in 1277–78. While Prabhāvakacarita is dedicated to the lives of Jain monks of the Śvetāmbara tradition, it is often quoted in the context of classical and medieval history, often dealing with the time of Acharya Hemachandra. As a historic text, this work serves as a major source of the information on the society in that era. Prabhāvakacarita includes a mention of use a parachute in ancient India. Prabhācandra was inspired from the Pariśiṣṭaparva, an appendix to Triśaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita by Hemacandrasūri to compose a work that encompasses the lives of Jaina monks prominently and the kings, statesmen, associated or belonging from 1st century C. E. to 12th century C. E. This work has been corrected by Pradyumnasūri, disciple of Kanakaprabhasūri. Prabhachandra gives accounts of acāryas from the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanskrit Literature
Sanskrit literature is a broad term for all literature composed in Sanskrit. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as some mixed and non-standard forms of Sanskrit. Literature in the older language begins during the Vedic period with the composition of the Ṛg·veda between about 1500 and 1000 BCE, followed by other Vedic works right up to the time of the grammarian Pāṇini around 6th or 4th century BCE (after which Classical Sanskrit texts gradually became the norm). Vedic Sanskrit is the language of the extensive liturgical works of the Vedic religion, while Classical Sanskrit is the language of many of the prominent texts associated with the major Indian religions, especially Hinduism and the Hindu texts, but also Buddhism, and Jainism. Some Sanskrit Buddhist texts are also composed in a version of Sanskrit often called Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shatrunjaya
Shatrunjaya, also spelled Shetrunjaya ("place of victory against inner enemies") and originally known as Pundarikgiri, is a range of hills located near the city of Palitana in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, India. The hills are situated on the banks of the Shetrunji River at an elevation of approximately above sea level. These hills bear similarities to other locations where Jainism, Jain temples have been constructed, including those in Bihar, Gwalior, Mount Abu, and Girnar. The sacred Jain hill of Shatrunjaya is home to 865 temples. The site was sanctified when Rishabha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism, delivered his sermons on the summit. The ancient significance of the hills is also attributed to Pundalik, Pundarik Swami, a chief Ganadhara and the grandson of Rishabha, who is believed to have attained Nirvana or Moksha here. His shrine is located opposite the main temple of Adinath, which was built by Bharata, the son of Rishabha. Alternate spellings include ''Śatr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Upkeśa Gaccha
Upkeśa Gaccha is the oldest ''gaccha'' (monastic order) of Śvetāmbara Jainism. It is one of the 84 ''gacchas'' of the Śvetāmbara sect that were once in existence. Unlike most other ''gacchas'' that follow Mahavira's lineage and begin with his disciple Sudharmaswami, it follows the lineage of the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanatha and is said to have begun with his prime disciple ''Ganadhara Shubhadatta''. It went extinct in about 1930 CE. History According to Śvetāmbara scriptures, lineage-wise, Upkeśa Gaccha is the oldest of all the 84 ''gacchas'' to ever exist. It is said to be of Parshvanatha's lineage. Historically, Parshvanatha's ''śāsana-kāl'' () was 250 years, which is the smallest difference between two Tirthankaras in this Avasarpiṇī. As a result, ascetics of Parshvanatha's unbroken lineage were around when Mahavira was born. As per Kalpa Sūtra, an important canonical scripture of the Śvetāmbaras, Mahavira's parents were Śrāvakas (lay-followers) o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puratana Prabandha Sangraha
The ''Puratana Prabandha Sangraha'' ("Collection of Old Prabandhas") is a collection of Sanskrit-language legendary biographies and anecdotes written by multiple Jain authors of India. It was edited by the Jain monk Jinvijay from several manuscripts, and published by the Adhisthata Singhi Jain Jnanapith (Calcutta) in 1936. The earliest manuscript in the compilation is dated 1290 VS (1233 CE). It is said to have been written by Jinabhadra, a disciple of Udayaprabha and a monk of Nagendra Gaccha. It was commissioned by a minister named Jayatasimha, who was the son of Vastupala. ''Prithviraja Prabandha'' One of the legends included in the collection is ''Prithviraja Prabandha'', which describes the life of the 12th century Chahamana king Prithviraja III. The ''Prithviraja Prabandha'' contains 40 lines of prose in addition to two 6-line verses. Although a ''Puratana Prabandha Sangraha'' manuscript is dated 1471 CE, its portion containing ''Prithviraja Prabandha'' was written by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaccha
Gaccha, alternatively spelled as Gachchha, is a monastic order, along with lay followers, of the idol worshipping Murtipujaka Śvetāmbara sect of Jainism. Etymology ''Gaccha'' literally means "who travel together". History According to Jain tradition, in the first century, Vajrasensuri established four ''Kulas'', subdivisions within the Swetambara Murtipujaka Jain community, to divide the community during time of drought to disperse them. They were: Chandra, Nirvriti, Vidyadhar and Nagendra. During 1000 to 1300 CE, the Gaccha replaced these ''Kula'' as basic divisions of community. Although some 84 separate gacchas have appeared since the 7th–8th century, only a few have survived, such as the Kharatara, the Tapa, the Achal, the Paichand or Parshwachandra Gaccha. While the gacchas do not differ from one another in matters of doctrine, they do differ on issues of practice, in particular those practices relating to the sacred calendar and to ritual. The various gacchas al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
