Jayavantsuri Krut Simandhar Swami Lekh - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Gujarati text, "Jayavantsuri krut Simandhar Swami Lekh," in English:

This document is an analysis and presentation of a Jain literary work titled "Jayavantsuri krut Simandhar Swami Lekh" (or "Simandhar Swami Stavana") by Jayant Kothari. The author, Jayant Kothari, is a scholar of medieval Gujarati Jain literature, and this piece is part of a commemorative volume for Shri Vijayanandsuri.

About the Author, Jayavantsuri:

Jayavantsuri was a Jain monk-poet of the 16th century, belonging to the Ratnakara branch of the Vadatpagachha.
He was a disciple of Upadhyaya Vinaymandal.
He often referred to himself as Jayavant Pandit and was also known by the name Gunsaubhagya Suri.
He was well-versed in Sanskrit poetics and had a deep understanding of the Sanskrit-Prakrit poetic tradition.
His known works include two "Rasakruti" (narrative poems), Shrungarmanjari (1558) and Rishidana Ras (1587), along with various other poetic forms like stanzas, letters (lekha/patra), dialogues, phaga (seasonal poems), and baramasa (poems about twelve months). He also composed around 80 songs.
His poetry showcases his talent as an emotional poet, demonstrating mastery over figures of speech, diverse expressions, poetic structures, problem-solving verses (samasya bandha), and epigrams.
While proficient in various styles, his strength lies in "Nehras" (love sentiment). Even his devotion to Tirthankaras is colored with devotional love.
He is considered a prominent poet of medieval literature due to his exceptional poetic skill.

About the Work: "Simandhar Swami Lekh"

Title and Attribution: This work is also known as "Simandhar Swami Stavana." In the text, the poet uses the signature "Jayant Pandit" and identifies himself as a disciple of Upadhyaya Vinaymandal.
Dating: The work is indicated to have been composed on Ashwin Sud 15, Friday, in Samvat 1599, which corresponds to 1543 CE. However, the author expresses doubt about this dating, considering that Jayavantsuri wrote Shrungarmanjari in 1558 when he was young (around 20-25 years old). If he wrote Shrungarmanjari at a young age, he would have been even younger in 1543. Also, Ashwin Sud 15 falling on a Friday can occur in many years.
Structure: The printed text contains 37 verses (kadi). Including the "Dhrupad" (refrain), the total comes to 42 verses. Although no specific meter ("dhal") is indicated, the work clearly has five such sections. Each verse typically consists of three or four lines, a notable characteristic of its poetic structure. While some sections mention the "deshi" (folk tune), the "raag" (melody) is indicated for all sections, though these may vary slightly in different manuscripts.

The Genre: "Lekh" or Letter-Poem

The term "Lekh" signifies a letter. There is a tradition of letter-poems in medieval Gujarati literature, sometimes also called "kagal," "patra," or "vijnapti."
These poems exist as independent works or are integrated into longer narrative poems.
Jayavantsuri showed a particular interest in this genre. His Shrungarmanjari features two long letters: one from Ajitsen to Shilavati (12 verses) and another from Shilavati to Ajitsen (up to 97 verses).
These letters typically begin with formal salutations like "Swasti Shri Var Vinvai," convey well-wishes, inquire about health, and express affection and separation.
Ajitsen's letter focuses on Shilavati, while Shilavati's letter offers various witty reasons for not writing, emphasizes the enduring nature of true affection despite distance, contains cryptic statements, expresses intense devotion, and uses charming arguments to explain writing impediments. The date of writing is also mentioned in Ajitsen's letter. Jayavantsuri's songs also include a letter from Sthulibhadra to Koshā.

Analysis of "Simandhar Swami Lekh":

Formal Elements: The "Simandhar Swami Lekh" starts with the conventional letter opening "Swastishri Pundaragini" and includes the date at the end, adhering to letter conventions.
Deviations from Letter Form: The poem doesn't strictly adhere to the letter format. Addressing deities and a parrot ("sudla"), or making appeals to a third person like "Mora ValhalaaNand," are considered incongruous in a letter to Simandhar Swami. The author suggests that for Jayavantsuri, expressing emotions was more important than strict adherence to form, and he was willing to use any device for this.
Emotional Tone: Like the letters in Shrungarmanjari, this "Lekh" is also designed to convey affection and feelings of separation. The overall tone is similar to the letters between Ajitsen and Shilavati, with some lines echoing each other.
Comparative Analysis with Shrungarmanjari: The text meticulously compares verses from "Simandhar Swami Lekh" with those from Shrungarmanjari.
- Traditional Analogies: Both works extensively use traditional analogies (e.g., the swan and the lake, the cuckoo and the rain, the lotus and the bee, the elephant and the fly) to express deep, steadfast, and singular remembrance. The author notes that medieval poets felt no constraint on originality in using these, and Jayavantsuri even repeated these analogies across different works, often with slight variations in detail or context, showcasing his poetic skill.
- Expressions of Separation: Both works express the agony of separation, where moments feel like years and nights feel like months.
- Untransmittable Feelings: Both mention that some feelings are too profound to be put into writing.
- Devotion and Love: Both describe the beloved's qualities as a creeper spreading in the mind, watered by affection.
- The Impossibility of Writing: Both convey the idea that even with vast resources (ocean as ink, mountains as pens, sky as paper), one cannot fully capture the beloved's qualities.
- The Beloved's Qualities: Both describe the beloved's numerous qualities and the overwhelming nature of their charm.
Unique Aspects of "Simandhar Swami Lekh":
- Devotion as Love: The core characteristic is that the devotion to the Tirthankara Simandhar Swami is expressed through the lens of love, resembling a separated woman writing to her beloved. Although there are no explicit gender markers, Simandhar Swami is consistently addressed as "Vahalaji" (beloved).
- Intense Affection: The author notes that while many Jain poets have expressed such devotional love, some might perceive a hint of worldly passion, raising doubts about appropriateness. The existence of alternative readings in manuscripts (replacing "Vahalaji" with "Arihant," "Bhagavant," "Sami") suggests this concern.
- Focus on Qualities: The poet's intense affection is attributed to Simandhar Swami's qualities. The work begins with a "roopak" (metaphorical) composition, describing the poet's mind-as-a-bee drawn to the beloved's lotus-like qualities. The "gunaveli" (creeper of qualities) is also mentioned.
- Physical Attraction: Beyond intellectual admiration of qualities, the poet also experiences attraction to Simandhar Swami's physical form and beauty, mentioning the allure of his moon-like face, gait, speech, and facial expressions.
- Desire for Union: The poem expresses a strong desire to see the beloved, make eye contact, and converse with them, indicating a longing for physical union. This is evident in the feelings of waiting, separation anxiety, and impatience.
- Secrecy of Feelings: The poet wishes to keep certain feelings secret from "sinful" and "enemy" individuals, likening it to a private love letter.
- Expressive Language: The poet uses various poetic devices to express these intense emotions:
  - Addressing a Parrot: The poet effectively uses a parrot ("sudila") as an intermediary to convey the message to the beloved, highlighting the urgency and inability to bear the pain of separation.
  - Moon as Messenger: A creative idea of using the moon as a messenger is presented, but its failure leads to frustration and a witty observation about the unreliability of those who haven't experienced similar pain.
  - Distorted Time Perception: The poem vividly depicts the distortion of time in separation, where days feel like years and nights like months, signifying the intensity of the longing.
  - Dreams: The poet uses the concept of dreams to express both the joy of imagined union and the subsequent despair when the dream fades upon waking. The absence of dreams due to constant wakefulness is also used to convey extreme hopelessness.
  - Distance and Obstacles: The vast distance between the poet and Simandhar Swami (in Mahavideh Kshetra) is acknowledged, along with the insurmountable obstacles of mountains, oceans, and difficult paths, highlighting the difficulty of union. The concept of "antaray karma" (obstacles due to karmic forces) is woven into this.
  - Hope and Waiting: The poem portrays the ceaseless waiting of a hopeful mind through simple yet effective imagery.
  - Colloquial Expressions: The use of everyday spoken language ("bolchal ni vabhagiyo") adds naturalness and intimacy, such as "Ghanu kahu syu karinu" (What more can I say?) emphasizing the helplessness and surrender of life to the beloved.
  - Creative Imagery: The poem features original and striking imagery, like the letter's letters being studded with diamonds and the letter itself being compared to a "tambol" (betel leaf) that delights the mind. Another example is the comparison of the beloved residing secretly in the mind to a woodworm in a mango tree, causing the body to waste away.
- Affectionate Vocabulary: A distinctive feature of the poet's vocabulary is the extensive use of diminutive and affectionate words ("ladvāchak shabdo"), such as "chandalu," "sudilo," "pāṅkhadi," "desadu," etc., extending even to pronouns and participles. This affectionate lexicon greatly enhances the delicate and tender sentiments of separation and love depicted.

Conclusion:

The "Simandhar Swami Lekh" is presented as a highly enjoyable work due to its "prem bhakthi" (devotional love) infused with an intense affection, multifaceted emotions ("sancharibhavo"), skillfully employed traditional and novel figures of speech, and the effectiveness of its natural and characteristic linguistic expressions. The poem stands out for its unique portrayal of Tirthankara devotion through the lens of intense personal love and longing.