Gujrat Me Rachit Katipay Digambar Jain Granth

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Gujrat me Rachit Katipay Digambar Jain Granth" by Bhogilal J Sandesara, in English:

This text delves into the historical presence and literary contributions of Digambara Jainism in Gujarat, a region that, along with Rajasthan, has been a significant center for Jainism for over fifteen centuries. While the Swetambara sect has a larger population in Gujarat today, the author highlights that Digambaras were once numerous and left behind valuable, albeit scarce, literary remnants crucial for understanding the broader history of Jain literature in the region.

The article focuses on two pivotal Sanskrit works composed in Gujarat:

1. Harivamsha Purana by Acharya Jinasena:

   • This is identified as one of the oldest available works of Digambara literature.
   • It was written in "Varshmanpur" (modern Vadvan in Saurashtra) in the year 705 Saka (783 CE).
   • The Harivamsha Purana is a massive work of 12,000 verses divided into 66 chapters, detailing the lineage of Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara.
   • The inscription (prashasti) indicates it was composed in the Nannaraja Vasati within a Parshvanatha temple in Varshmanpur. It also mentions the worship of this text in a temple of Tirthankara Shantinatha at a place called Dostatika, likely near Vadvan.
   • The text connects the ruler mentioned in the inscription, Jayavarah, to the Chapa dynasty, who ruled Vadvan. It is theorized that this Jayavarah was an ancestor of Dharanivarah, a feudatory of the Gurjara-Pratihara king Mahipal.
   • The author of Harivamsha Purana, Jinasena, later composed his work in Girnar, mentioning the Yakshini Simhavahini, suggesting the existence of a temple of Ambika (Yakshini of Neminatha) there by the 8th century CE.

2. Brihatkathakosh by Acharya Harishena:

   • Composed approximately 150 years after the Harivamsha Purana.
   • This work comprises 157 Jain narrative stories across various themes and spans about 12,500 verses.
   • It was written in "Varshmanpur" during the reign of King Vinayaka (also known as Mahipala), a ruler of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty.
   • The composition dates to between October 5, 631 CE, and March 13, 632 CE, based on astrological calculations provided by Harishena.
   • The text mentions Vinayaka Pal as the ruler, which scholarly consensus identifies with the famous emperor Mahipala. A copper-plate inscription of Mahipala from 631 CE corroborates this identification.

The Punnat Sangh and its Significance:

• Both Jinasena and Harishena were associated with the "Punnat Sangh", a community of Digambara Jain monks.
• The Punnat Sangh originated from the Punnat region in the Dakshinapatha (Southern India), specifically the area between the Kaveri and Kapini rivers, with its main city being Kittipur.
• The article notes that while Karnataka was and remains a center for Digambara Jains, the "Punnat Sangh" is not explicitly mentioned in its ancient literature. However, the "Kittar Sangh" is mentioned, which might refer to the same group, named after the city of Kittar in the Punnat region.
• It is firmly established that a Digambara monastic community from Karnataka, specifically the Punnat region, migrated to Saurashtra before the 9th century CE and settled in areas around Vadvan, becoming known as the Punnat Sangh.
• This migration signifies a crucial cultural connection between Gujarat and Karnataka. The author emphasizes that Vadvan was a major center for the Digambara Jain community in Western India during that period.

Later Digambara Literature in Gujarat:

The text then introduces two later Digambara poets whose works were found in Gujarat:

1. Yashakirti (or Yashahkirti):

   • A disciple of Gunakirti.
   • His Pandava Purana, a Digambara retelling of the Mahabharata in Apabhramsha verse, was written in 1176 VS (1123 CE) in Navagavpura at the request of a layman named Vilhasuta Hemraj. The location of Navagavpura is uncertain.
   • His second Apabhramsha work is Chandappahachariu (Chandraprabha Charita), a biography of the 8th Tirthankara, Chandraprabha. A manuscript of this work, dated 1571 VS, was provided to the author.
   • Chandappahachariu was composed in Ummata village in Gurjara Desha, at the request of Siddhapala, son of Kumara Singh of the Humbada lineage. Ummata is likely the modern Umta village near Vadnagar in North Gujarat.

2. Amara Kirti:

   • A disciple of Chandra Kirti of the Mathura Sangh.
   • His Apabhramsha work, Shatkarma Upadesha (Shatkarmopadesha), which details the duties of lay Jains (shravakas), was written in 1274 VS (1216 CE) in Godrah (modern Godhra in Panchmahal district) in the Mahitatata region.
   • The author notes that the Karnaraja mentioned in the Shatkarmopadesha preface is distinct from the earlier Chalukya king Karna Deva of Gujarat.
   • Amara Kirti mentions seven other works: Neminatha Charitra, Mahavira Charitra, Yashodhara Charitra, Dharmacharita Tippana, Subhashita Ratnanidhi, Chudamani, and Dhyana Upadesha, in addition to several Sanskrit and Prakrit poetic works, none of which are currently extant.

Conclusion:

The article concludes by stating that these are the available Digambara literary works from Gujarat. It suggests that further research into these and other potential works could shed significant light on the history of the Digambara sect in Gujarat and, consequently, on the cultural history of the region. The author also briefly mentions other Digambara literary works written in ancient Gujarati and the importance of studying manuscript colophons for understanding the spread of Digambara Jainism in Gujarat.