Ketlik Prakirna Laghu Rachano

Here is a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Ketlik Prakirna Laghu Rachano" by Shilchandrasuri, based on the provided pages:

The book "Ketlik Prakirna Laghu Rachano" (Short Compositions of Various Types) compiles four small, distinct compositions found on separate loose sheets. The author, Shilchandrasuri, presents these works with introductory notes.

1. First Composition: Tirthankarastavana (Praise of Tirthankaras)

• Description: This is a Sanskrit composition consisting of five verses.
• Meter: The initial verses appear to be in the 'Tottak' meter, although its consistency is not maintained throughout. The fifth verse is in the 'Harigeet' meter. It is considered a "nearly pure" composition.
• Author: The author is unknown. The word 'Rajhansa' in the last line is suggested as a potential clue to the author's name.
• Content: It praises all 24 Tirthankaras from Rishabh to Mahavir.

2. Second Composition: Suprabhatam (Good Morning) Stavana

• Description: This is also a Sanskrit composition of four verses.
• Purpose: It is believed to have been composed with the intention of being recited or heard as an auspicious morning recitation. This is inferred from the recurring phrase 'Mama Suprabhatam' (May my morning be good) at the end of each stanza.
• Meter: The verses are in the 'Vasantatilaka' meter.
• Author: The author is unknown.
• Condition: The original composition is considered impure. The text includes a corrected version alongside the original, improved as much as possible.

3. Third Composition: Amritadhun

• Description: This composition is in Gujarati and is lyrical (geya).
• Source: It is a faithful transcription of a text found at the end of a 20th-century manuscript.
• Author: The author is unknown.
• Dating: The exact composition date is unknown.
• Content and Nature: The language and vocabulary suggest it might be a mantra or chant intended to alleviate ailments and troubles. The name 'Amritadhun' (Melody of Nectar) further suggests a function of saving from dangerous situations. The specific deity or person being praised is not clearly identified, but the word 'Chandaka' in the second stanza hints at a connection to 'Chandika' (a form of the goddess Durga). The text is presented as is due to the difficulty in understanding its language, word division, and meaning, with a request for experts to shed light on it.

4. Fourth Composition: Mewad Ko Kavita (Poem about Mewar)

• Description: This is a poem written in the Marwari language.
• Author: The author is Muni Jinendra.
• Meter: The poem is in the 'Hatki' meter, which resembles the 'Dvibhangi' meter.
• Motivation: The poem expresses criticism and condemnation of the Mewar region. It is theorized that the poet-monk was ordered by his Gachh-nayak (leader of his sect) to observe Chaturmas (a four-month monastic retreat) in a village of Mewar. Due to the hardships and difficulties he faced during his stay and subsequent travel (Vihar) in that region, he composed this poem out of displeasure.
• Content: The poem vividly describes the perceived negative aspects of Mewar, including:
  • Lack of resources and good food (only corn bread, dry food, salty consumption).
  • People wearing black attire.
  • Difficult terrain with stones and obstacles.
  • People being ignorant and foolish.
  • People with unkempt hair and beards, protruding stomachs.
  • People appearing sickly and lacking vitality.
  • People engaged in frivolous arguments and fights.
  • Consumption of opium and other intoxicants.
  • Lack of proper transportation (carts, chariots).
  • The presence of many religious ascetics and mendicants, but also a prevalence of non-Jain beliefs and worship of deities like Mahesh.
  • The description of turbans resembling sword scabbards and the tying of Rudraksha beads like ears.
  • The poem warns people not to visit Mewar by mistake.
• Dating: The composition is estimated to be from the 19th century. A writing date of Vikram Samvat 1953 (1896 CE) is mentioned at the end.
• Concluding Plea: In the final Doha (couplet, number 9), the poet requests his Gachh-nayak not to order him to go to Mewar again, except possibly to Udaipur.
• Vocabulary: Some difficult words from the poem have been explained at the end, with a request for corrections from experts if any are made.

The text includes the Sanskrit verses for the first two compositions and the Gujarati-Marwari poem, along with the vocabulary explanations for the latter. It is presented as a collection of significant but disparate literary pieces of Jain tradition.