Five Apbhramsa Verses Composed By Munja The Parmara King Of Malava

This document, "Five Apabhramsa Verses Composed by Munja, the Paramara King of Malava" by H. C. Bhayani, published in the Z_Agarchand_Nahta_Abhinandan_Granth_Part_2_012043.pdf, focuses on identifying and contextualizing five Apabhramsa verses attributed to King Muñja of the Paramara dynasty.

Key Points:

• Historical Significance of Muñja: The article highlights King Muñja (c. 975-995 AD) as a prominent historical figure known for his romance, heroism, literary talent, and patronage of literature.
• Hemacandra's Testimony: The primary evidence for Muñja's authorship comes from the renowned Jain scholar Hemacandra. In his work Chandonusāśana, Hemacandra cites a commemorative verse that names five key words (pratikas) from five different verses composed by Muñja. This practice was a traditional way to authenticate the authorship of isolated poetic verses.
• Identification of the Verses: The article systematically identifies these five verses:
  • Cūdullau Verse: Found in Chandonusāśana and Siddhahema (with slight variations). It describes a girl's cheek being powdered by her sighs and tears, affecting her bracelet.
  • Bahoha-jalu Verse: Also cited in Chandonusāśana and Siddhahema. It depicts tears boiling up on cheeks and disappearing.
  • Nayanā Verse: Likely identified as a verse in Siddhahema that describes glances being deflected by streams of tears.
  • Kamcua Verse: Identified as a verse in Siddhahema where a wayfarer encounters a lady gazing at the road, with her blouse being drenched and dried by tears and sighs.
  • Visama-thana Verse: Identified as a verse in Siddhahema that speaks of people bursting their own hearts and warns men about the "terrific" breasts of young girls.
• Supporting Evidence from Jambūsāmcariya: The article presents indirect but strong supporting evidence from the Apabhramsa poem Jambūsāmcariya, composed by Vīra around 1020 AD. Vīra, writing shortly after Muñja's death, shows clear influence from Muñja's poetic style and themes.
  • Specifically, lines in Jambūsāmcariya describing the love-lorn state of women echo the imagery and wording of Muñja's Cūdullau and Bahoha-jalu verses.
  • The appearance of the word "cūdullau" in both Muñja's verse and the Jambūsāmcariya passage is a significant indicator of direct influence.
  • This connection suggests that Hemacandra and Vīra likely drew upon a common source where these verses of Muñja were known and preserved.
• Conclusion: The article concludes that the evidence from Chandonusāśana and Jambūsāmcariya strongly supports the attribution of these five Apabhramsa verses to King Muñja, highlighting their poetic merit and historical importance in understanding early Apabhramsa literature and the literary patronage of the Paramara dynasty.