Girnar Chett Pariwadi - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the Jain text "Girnar Chett Pariwadi" by M. A. Dhaky and Vidhatri Vora:

Book Title: Girnar Chett Pariwadi Author(s): M. A. Dhaky, Vidhatri Vora Publisher: Z_Aspect_of_Jainology_Part_2_Pundit_Bechardas_Doshi_012016.pdf Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/230070/1

Overview:

"Girnar Chett Pariwadi" is a highly valuable Jain text that details a Chaitya Paripati (a pilgrimage account or description of a sacred site) focused on the temples of Girnar (also known as Ujjayanta Giri). The text not only supports information previously found in other Girnar pilgrimage accounts but also provides special clarifications and introduces novel facts not mentioned by other authors. While the author's name is not explicitly stated, the 41st stanza suggests the composition might have been part of a Samgha (pilgrimage group) led by "Sandhvi Shavraj" and composed by a Muni (monk).

The current text is transcribed from manuscript number 2970 in the collection of Muni Punyavijayji of the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Sangit Sanskriti Kendra. Although the original manuscript doesn't specify the era of composition or script, the language and subject matter suggest the work belongs to the latter half of the 15th century, while the manuscript's script appears to be from the latter half of the 17th century or earlier.

Key Aspects and Pilgrimage Journey:

The text begins with the pilgrim-poet invoking the goddesses Ambika and Saraswati, paying homage to Neminath (the 22nd Tirthankara, associated with Girnar), and declaring their joyous intention to praise the Jinas at Ujjayanta Giri.

The pilgrimage then proceeds through various significant locations and structures associated with Girnar and its surroundings:

Junagadh: The account mentions the large city of Junagadh at the foothills of Girnar, specifically the "Salakprasad" (a temple built by the merchant Salakha). It also refers to the temple of Parshvanath established by Tejpal in Tejalpur, and the temple of the first Jina (Adinath) built by Sandhvi Dhundhal.
Dharanig Vasahi: The text mentions visiting the "Dharanig Vasahi" (likely the same as the "Jirna Durg") to pay respects to Mahavir Swami. It notes that the "Bhadraprasad" on the left side of this Vasahi was constructed by the merchant Punige.
Khamana Vasahi: The pilgrim proceeds to the "Khamana Vasahi," enthusiastically built by Lakharaj, to worship the brass image of Rishabheshwar (Adinath).
Journey Towards Girnar: The narrative then describes the journey towards the mountain (Girnar), mentioning places like Damodar, the Sovanrekh river, and the Kshetrapala Kalamegh within the Vastrapatha region.
Natural Beauty and Water Sources: The text describes the natural beauty of the area in the 7th stanza. It highlights the construction of a "Paj" (water cistern or reservoir) by Bahad, son of Minister Udayan, costing sixty-three lakh Visalpuri (a type of currency).
Stops and Rest Points on the Ascent: The ascent of the mountain involves descriptions of various "Parabs" (watering stations or resting places):
- The first Parab is associated with the Oswal Soni Padama.
- The second is for the Parvadwala community.
- The pilgrim rests under a Rayan tree at Hathi Vanki.
- The third Parab is the "Dhuli Parab" of Lod Nayaka.
- The fourth is the "Mali Parab" near Makadkudi.
Paths and Further Stops: The journey continues along winding paths, mentioning "Silkhadaki" and another Khadaki. The fifth Parab is the "Suvavadi Parab."
Sahasbind Gupha: To the right of the Suvavadi Parab, the pilgrim notes the existence of "Sahasbind Gupha" (Cave of a Thousand Springs).
Temples and Gateways: Further on, "Tarana" arches and the "Anchalprasad" (temple of the Anchal Gachchha) become visible on the left and right. The text then mentions the first "Pali" and the second "Pali."

Arrival at the Main Temple and Worship:

Entry into Neminath's Temple: The pilgrim finally reaches the temple of the pilgrimage deity, Lord Neminath. The Sandhvi enters with a procession, accompanied by parasols, fly-whisks, and the sound of five types of musical instruments. The text vividly describes the resonant sounds of the Bhungal-Bheri, the drumming of Dhol-Dada, the blowing of trumpets, and the auspicious songs sung by girls.
Worship and Rituals:
- The pilgrim first bows to Dharmanath in the "Melasaha's" temple.
- They then worship the Nemi image in the "Savolakhi Chukidhar" (a structure built by Vastupal) opposite the main western entrance.
- After bowing to the Parshvanath temple (built by Vastupal), they enter the main deity's temple.
- Upon seeing Neminath, they offer greetings, donate, and proceed to the "Padumandap" (footprint pavilion).
- After circumambulating the three-storied temple and making further donations, they offer various fruits and flowers.
- They perform ritualistic worship of the deity with bare feet, considering it a fulfillment of their human birth.
- They bathe in the "Gajpad Kund," return to the temple, perform a bathing festival, and offer camphor and sandalwood.

Further Temples and Structures:

Agar Puja and Ratna Shravaka's Temple: The pilgrim worships with incense, serves Nemi established by Ratna Shravaka, performs the Chaitya Paripati in the "Bhamti" (circumbulatory path), and worships the Jina in the "Rangmandap" (assembly hall).
Dharmashala Temple and Apapamadha: They then visit the Dharmashala temple and proceed to "Apapamadha."
Apapamadha Attractions: In Apapamadha, they worship the seven Tirthankaras of the previous cycle and eight Tirthankaras. The image of the eighth Tirthankara (Neminath) was brought from Trambavati (Khambhat) by Appabhattsuri and shown to Amraraj. The pilgrim bows to this image.
Brass Neminath and Vastupal's Constructions: They worship the brass Neminath image, then offer prayers in the 72 temples built by Minister Vastupal around the main temple. From there, they proceed to pay respects to the "Shatrunjayavatar Adinath," a grand structure costing lakhs of rupees, also built by Vastupal, featuring three shrines.
Statues of Vastupal, Tejpal, and their Ancestors: On the left and right sides, they observe the statues of Vastupal and Tejpal on elephants, as well as Sam (Vastupal's grandfather) and Asaraj (Vastupal's father). The captivating statues are endlessly admired.
Ashtapada and Sametshikhar Images: They proceed to see the 24 Jinas in Ashtapada on the left and the 20 Jinas in Sametshikhar on the right.
Jirapalli Parshvanath: They worship Jirapalli Parshvanath, established by the merchant Govinda, to alleviate the suffering of the Kali Yuga.
Temples of Shana and Bhubhava: They then visit the temples of merchants Shana and Bhubhava, praising Vimalnath and Parshvanath, and admiring the beautiful Mukhamandap.
Description of the Temple: The temple is praised for its beautiful brass image and its resemblance to "Kanchan-Balana" (a golden creeper).
Samarsinh's Temple and Meghanad Mandap: They worship at the temple of Kalyanraya, renovated by Samarsinh, which houses Neminath in three forms, and admire the pillar-supported Meghanad Mandap.
Fifty-two Devries and Other Shrines: They visit the fifty-two devries (small shrines) on the Jagati (platform). The southern Bhadraprasad was built by Maldav, and Ratnadeva commissioned a large brass image. The western Bhadraprasad was built by Haja Shreshthi, and the northern one by Shreshthi Sada and Shreshthi Vase.

Kharatar Vasahi and Other Important Sites:

Kharatar Vasahi: The pilgrim then moves to the Kharatar Vasahi, established by Sadh Narpal. It features a brass image of Vir (Mahavir) with arches, and around it, peaceful Jin (Shantinath) and Parshvanath in captivating brass Kaushaggiyas.
Rangamandap Ceiling and Statues: The ceilings of the Rangamandap depict Nagabandha and Panchangvir, and the statues in the mandap please the mind. The mandap is built on the original "Mala Khada."
Bhanashali's Ashtapada and Dharanshah's Sametshikhar: To the right is the Ashtapada Bhadraprasad built by Bhanashali, and to the left is the renowned Sametshikhar structure in the Bhadraprasad built by Dharanshah.
Other Notable Temples: They visit temples with wonderful idols, Chandragupha, Purnasimhavasati, Sumatinath, the beautiful Hamsar established by Vraj Shreshthi, Sarangjinvar placed by Semsinh, the enchanting Vasati built by Kharatar Gachchhiya Shreshthi Jetha, and Chandrabhajina.
Nagzhar-Morzhar Kunds and Shantinath Prasad: They see the two kunds (water tanks) of Nagzhar and Morzhar, bow to the Shantinath Prasad with 72 temples established by Purnasimh Kekari.
Indra Mandap and Nimi Dehri: They participate in the Indra Mahotsava in the Indra Mandap and visit Nimi Dehri.
Gajpad Kund and other Structures: They see the eight images in Gajpad Kund, Sakaliyali Paj, and Chhatrashila.
Morning Departure towards Ambika's Peak: Early in the morning, they depart towards Ambika's peak.
Kapada Yaksha and Ram Dungar: On the way, they praise Chandrabhajina, visit Kapada Yaksha renovated by Siddharaj (a minister), and then proceed to the temple of Chakravarti Bharata. They also visit the two temples of Ram Dungar and turn towards Rajmati.
Ramati Cave and Udayshekhar Temple: In the Ramati cave, they witness the image of Ramati, who broke her bangle in grief over Neminath's separation. They also mention the temple of Udayshekhar, son of Shivadevi, with its pinnacle.

Temples of Digambar and Shvetambar Sects:

Digambar Sector: They then proceed to the "Kotadi-Vihar" of the Digambar sect, bowing to the brass Adinath built by Shreshthi Pata.
Shvetambar Sector: They visit the Bhavsar Dahavihar (Shvetambar) to bow to Ajit Jineshwar and worship in the Chaturmukh Prasad built by Shreshthi Lakhpati.
Gangadevi's Temple: In Gangade, they meditate on the Jina established by Indraraja in the temple of Ganga.
Ganapati and Rathnemini's Temples: They bow to the temples of Ganapati and Rathnemini.
Ambika's Paj and Prasad: They ascend the Ambika's Paj built by Chhitar Sah and bow to the Ambika's Prasad renovated by Samal Shah.
Bhagavati Ambika's Panchamurti: They offer a coconut before the Panchamurti of Bhagavati Ambika, who removes obstacles to the Sangha.

Observation from Avlokana Shikhar and Final Devotions:

Avlokana Shikhar: From Avlokana Shikhar, they survey the "Sahastraavan" and bow from afar to the Shikharas of Lakhha Ram, Shamb and Pradyumna. They point out Siddhi Vinayak on Pradyumna Shikhar and the unseen Kanchan-Balana.
Return to Neminath's Temple: The pilgrim returns to Neminath's temple.
Indramal and Indra Mahotsava: They wear Indramal, participate in Indra Mahotsava, make donations, and worship in Sajjanvihar's Prithvijay Prasad, adorned with golden pitchers.

Historical and Financial Information:

Siddharaj's Expenditure: The pilgrim-poet states that Jayasingh Siddharaj spent 5,72,00,000 Visalpuri Drammas on building temples on the Girnar mountain, thus accumulating his father's fame.
Sandhvi Shavraj's Contribution: The renowned Sandhvi Shavraj earned praise by establishing golden pitchers and flags at Neminath's temple.
Merits of Listening: It is stated that those who listen with single-minded devotion to the Jina's story (Mal) daily receive great merit from the pilgrimage.

Analysis and Observations by the Authors:

The authors note that this Chaitya Paripati contains a wealth of new information regarding construction in the 15th century, which is not found in other Girnar-related accounts. Examples include the Anchalprasad, Jirapalli Parshvanath built by Govinda Shreshthi (who also renovated Taranga Tirth), Lakhpati Shreni's Chaturmukh Prasad, the Digambar Patavasi, and the adjacent Shvetambar Dahavasahi, and Ambaji's Paj built by Chhitar Sah.

However, the authors also point out two instances that appear contradictory when compared with older facts. For example, the devkulikas (small shrines) surrounding Neminath's temple were not built by Minister Vastupal. Inscriptions indicate that the main temple was completed in 1129 CE, and the roofing and enclosure of these devkulikas were finished in 1159 CE. Furthermore, the claim about the expenditure for Neminath's temple construction seems exaggerated. The mention of "Visalpuriya Keri" (a type of coin) being in circulation during Siddharaj's time is considered an anachronism.

In essence, "Girnar Chett Pariwadi" provides a detailed, stanza-by-stanza account of a pilgrimage to Mount Girnar, meticulously listing the various temples, structures, and stopping points, while also offering valuable historical insights and contributing unique details to the existing corpus of Jain pilgrimage literature.