Kalyansagarsuri Ni Shrutopasna - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Kalyansagarsuri ni Shrutopasna" by Hiralal R Kapadia, based on the provided pages:

This work, "Kalyansagarsuri ni Shrutopasna" (Devotion to Knowledge of Kalyansagar Suri), authored by Hiralal R Kapadia, is a detailed exploration of the literary contributions of Jain Acharya Kalyansagar Suri. The author aims to catalog and describe the various works attributed to him, categorizing them and providing context for their creation.

Overall Scope and Works:

The text indicates that at least 32 works by Kalyansagar Suri are known to exist. These works are primarily in Sanskrit, with a few in Gujarati. No works in Hindi or Prakrit are currently available. The author notes that the reason for stating "at least 32" is that the exact number of individual hymns within collections labeled as "stotras" is not always known.

Categorization of Works:

Kapadia categorizes Kalyansagar Suri's literary output into several main types:

Grammatical Works:
- Mitrahiyarā (or Mitrajiniya, Hiranyala): This is a grammatical work listing Sanskrit names across different genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter). It was composed in Sanskrit in Vikram Samvat 1706 for his disciple Vinayasagar. An earlier mention of this work, referred to as 'Shivsim', is found in Udaysagar's 'Snatrapanchashika' (VS 1104).
- Mishrahigayaara Vivarana: This commentary is mentioned in 'Anchalgacch Digdarshan' as being self-authored and refers to Dr. Bühler's Sixth Report (p. 762).
Sanskrit Works (Further Subdivided):
- Ashtakas (Eight-Verse Compositions): The author identifies seven Ashtakas attributed to Kalyansagar Suri. Typically, these have eight verses, but some can have nine or even ten. Five of his Ashtakas have nine verses, and two have ten verses.
  1. Chikunda Ashtak: Nine verses praising the qualities of the idol of Parshvanath at Chikunda. It expresses devotion to the deity at Chikunda.
  2. Nauritra Ashtak: Ten verses praising the deity at the renowned pilgrimage site in Marudesh. The author compares the deity to a peacock for the Anchalgacch and a cloud for the creeper of fame.
  3. Maddur Parshvanath Ashtak: Ten verses dedicated to the idol of Parshvanath found in the village of Mahudi, near Khijapur.
  4. Raval Parshvanath Ashtak: Nine verses glorifying the idol of Parshvanath at Ravala, near Alwar. Legend suggests it was commissioned by Pratishravana and his wife Mandodari, hence its name. The text also speculates on the evolution of the name from 'Ravala' to 'Ravana'.
  5. Vira Ashtak: Nine verses praising the virtues of Vira Prabhu, referring to the main deity at the Abu pilgrimage.
  6. Samayanath Ashtak: Likely hymns for the idol of Sambhavnath in the Sambhavnath Jinlay in Gopipura, Surat, as Kalyansagar Suri spent a Chaturmas there. It has nine verses.
  7. Seris-Pada Ashtak: Nine verses dedicated to the main deity of the Serisa pilgrimage. The author believes Ladhan Parshvanath is the same as Serisa (Sa) Parshvanath.
- Stotras (Hymns):
  1. Chintamani Parshvanath Stotra: An 11-verse hymn concluding with the line "tīrtha-nātho dhyāyato dhyāta-preyako."
  2. Chitra Stotras: The author questions the origin of this title, suggesting it might have been a misnomer or a compilation that included the Chintamani Parshvanath Stotra. It's speculated to contain various hymns with "Chitra Alankar" (pictorial embellishment). Despite many illustrated manuscripts existing, none have been found to confirm the exact contents or structures. The author proposes an award for anyone providing a well-preserved illustrated manuscript of this work.
- Stavans (Devotional Songs/Praise):
  1. Antariksha Parshvanath Stavana: Eight verses praising the deity at Sirpur in Vidarbha.
  2. Jaji Parshvanath Stavana: Eleven verses.
  3. Shauripur Stavana: Seventeen verses, also praising the deity of the Shauripur pilgrimage.
  4. Rata Parshvanath Stavana: A nine-verse composition praising the deity at Vadodara. It is noted that one version has ten verses.
  5. Fifth Stavana: The author mentions that in this stava, the composer states that the hymn to Parshvanath can be recited in any Parshvanath temple.
  6. Shantinath Stavana: A composition of nine verses in Navanagar praising Shantinath.
  7. Shantinath Vinay-Stavana: Nineteen verses. Kalyansagar Suri identifies himself as Shubhsagar in this work.
  8. Satyapuri Mahavir Stavana: Twenty-two verses praising Lord Mahavir at Satyapur, the main deity of the Sharnan pilgrimage.
  9. Samavaran Stavana: Twelve verses praising Sambhavnath, the main deity of the Sambhavnath Jinlay established by an Acharya of the Anchalgacch in Gopipura, Surat.
  10. Suvidhinath Vinay-Stavana: Six verses praising Lord Suvidhinath, the lord of Siteterpur.
  11. Maliy Swami Stavana: An eighteen-verse composition praising Rishabhdev Swami at Kulpak, near Akot village in Hyderabad. The idol there is made of "Leelamanek," hence its identification as Mali Swami.
- Namavali (Lists of Names):
  1. Parshvanath Sahasranam or Prarthana Namavali: This work, approximately 150 kanc (a unit of measure), lists 1000 names of Parshvanath. Similar thousand-name lists exist for other deities among Jains and Hindus. The poet composed this during a sangha (religious procession/undertaking) organized by Shresthi Ishvar of the Sthalgotriya in Kherwa in VS 1696, making it ancient. These names also describe the attributes of the Jin Bhagavan.
  2. Parshvanath Gottrashat Nam: Noted in 'Nirora' (Vol. 1, p. 244), this lists 1008 names of Parshvanath. Neither of these lists has been published, and it's uncertain if they are distinct works as even their opening lines are not presented.
- Charitras (Biographies/Narratives):
  1. Rishabhnath Charitra: A biographical work.
  2. Surkriya Charitra: This work can be compared to Muni Kanakakushal Gani's composition "Surpriyamunikanthana." The 'Jain Granthavali' mentions the Surpriya Katha.
Gujarati Works:
1. Vis Viharmān Jin Stavana or Visi: This work begins with the line "Shri Simandhar sambhalu ek meri ardas."
2. Agaddatta Ras: Noted in 'Jain Gujarati Kavi' (Vol. 3, Part 1, p. 467), this ras (a genre of narrative poetry) was composed between VS 1649 and 1718. The author mentions these two Gujarati works in his work "Jain Gujarati Sahitya no Itihas, Rekhankana," which was in the process of publication in 1976.

Literary Classification:

The author concludes by classifying these works into three categories: Technical, Literary (Lalit), and Philosophical.

Technical Literature: Only one work, the Vivarana, is classified here.
Literary Literature: The majority of Kalyansagar Suri's works fall into this category. The author emphasizes that even the Vivarana might be considered literary due to its nature. Many of these literary works, while primarily aesthetic, also incorporate philosophical and spiritual reflections as secondary themes.

The text concludes with two verses that highlight the philosophical underpinnings, emphasizing Ahimsa (non-violence) as the supreme dharma and the liberation that comes from living without causing harm and by bestowing fearlessness upon all beings. This reflects the spiritual essence often interwoven with the devotional and literary works of Jain Acharyas.