Malva Ke Swetambara Jain Bhasha Kavi

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Malva ke Swetambara Jain Bhasha Kavi" by Agarchand Nahta:

This article, authored by Agarchand Nahta, delves into the Swetambara Jain poets of the Malwa region and their literary contributions. The author begins by highlighting the ancient and significant connection of the Malwa region, particularly Ujjain and Dashpur (Mandsaur), with Jainism. He notes the presence of Jainism in other Malwa locations like Dhar, Nalpur, Narwar, Sarangpur, Dewas, and Mandavgad during the medieval period, indicating a strong propagation of the faith due to the presence of prosperous and religiously inclined Jain laypeople.

However, Nahta expresses regret that no systematic research has been conducted on the Jain history of these centers of Jain propagation in Malwa. He emphasizes that many Jain knowledge repositories (Jain Gyan Bhandars) remain undiscovered, leading to many Jain texts composed in Malwa not being brought to light. Both Digambara and Swetambara communities likely have numerous handwritten manuscripts in museums, and their exploration is deemed essential. While the author has some knowledge of Jain repositories in Indore and Ujjain, he notes the unfortunate potential loss of these collections. He laments the destruction of ancient Jain temples and repositories in Mandavgad, a place with a glorious Jain history. Similarly, while Dhar had a significant Jain presence and old idols, no knowledge repositories have come to his notice.

A key challenge addressed by Nahta is the difficulty in definitively labeling Jain scholars and monks as "Malwa poets." This is because they were itinerant saints who traveled extensively across various regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat for religious propagation. They would stay in a place for the four months of the monsoon period based on the extent of religious activity and the requests from laypeople. Their disciplined lives allowed them to dedicate significant time to study, teaching, and composing texts. Consequently, a single poet might have one work created in Rajasthan, another in Gujarat, and a third in Malwa, making it impossible to attribute them solely to one region. Many ascetics and nuns might have been born or initiated in Malwa but spent more time traveling in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The author mentions a modern trend in the 19th century where some Jain ascetics began establishing semi-permanent residences, but their lineages have since diminished, leaving behind potentially unresearched repositories.

Nahta also points out that while the Digambara community has had fewer ascetics, the tradition of self-study among laypeople has been consistent. Therefore, even a small number of handwritten scriptures can be found in Digambara Jain temples, and their discovery is also important.

The author states that Jain literature has been created in Malwa in five languages: Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsha, Hindi, and Gujarati. He advocates for independent research into the literature of each language. Both Digambara and Swetambara communities, including the Sthanakvasi sect within Swetambara, reside in Malwa. While many authors mention village or city names in their colophons, the region is often omitted, making it difficult to pinpoint the location due to similarly named places in different regions. Therefore, this article will focus only on works where the composition location in Malwa is clearly mentioned.

Nahta clarifies that he will not be discussing Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsha, and Digambara literature due to the extensive time and effort required for their research. This article will exclusively focus on the works of Swetambara Murti-Pujak poets who explicitly mention composing their works in a village or city of the Malwa region.

Furthermore, the author highlights that the language spoken in the Malwa region, with minor variations, has historically been similar to Rajasthani. In ancient times, Prakrit was the common language across a vast area, from which Apabhramsha evolved with minimal regional distinctions in literary works. Similarly, the early provincial languages that developed from Apabhramsha had little difference. As these distinctions became more pronounced, regional languages gained separate names. The language referred to by scholars as ancient Rajasthani or Maru-Gurjar was also prevalent in Malwa. A significant portion of Swetambara Jain laypeople in Malwa migrated from Rajasthan, and the borders between Rajasthan and Malwa are contiguous. Due to political changes, some villages and cities have been part of Malwa or Rajasthan at different times. Therefore, the language of poetry composed by Swetambara Jain poets while residing in Malwa is not different from Rajasthani. From a linguistic perspective, the languages of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Malwa have been similar. The author cites the proverb "language changes every twelve kos" to illustrate the fluidity of spoken dialects. Over time, the Malwa dialect was influenced by the neighboring Hindi language, making the current Malwi dialect a blend of Rajasthani and Hindi, with a stronger Rajasthani influence. This is why linguists categorize Malwi as a dialect within the Rajasthani language group.

The author bases the details of the Swetambara Jain poets and their works composed in Malwa on the "Jain Gurjar Kaviyo" series (Volumes 1-3), published by the Jain Swetambara Conference, Bombay, about 30-40 years prior, compiled by the late Mohanlal Dulichand Desai. Desai's work, compiled through extensive effort and examination of numerous Jain knowledge repositories, also covers Prakrit, Sanskrit Jain literature, and Jain history in his "Jain Sahityano Sankshipt Itihas." Nahta laments that even Jain scholars are not fully utilizing these crucial reference works, let alone non-Jain scholars. He notes that while the Gujarati script and language might pose some difficulty for Jain scholars, the Gujarati script is very similar to the Devanagari script, requiring only a careful understanding of about eight to ten letters. He urges scholars to benefit from these important Jain texts.

The article then proceeds to list specific poets and their works, providing details about the composition dates, locations, and the content of their literary pieces. The author acknowledges that identifying the very first Swetambara Jain Rajasthani poet in Malwa and their specific work remains an area for further research. He mentions Mahakavi Dhanpal, a court poet of Maharaja Bhoja and author of "Tilak Manjari," whose small devotional work "Satyapuriy Mahavir Utsah" contains both Apabhramsha and early forms of the vernacular language, offering potential clues to the development of the Malwi language. He notes that many Jain poets existed in Malwa until the 15th century, but their works are not mentioned here due to the lack of compositional location details.

The author begins detailing works with clear mentions of composition locations from the 16th century onwards, covering a period of approximately 300 years, from the early 16th to the 18th century.

Key poets and works mentioned include:

• Anand Muni (Oswal lineage), who composed "Dharmalakshmi Mahatara Bhaakh" (53 verses) in Mandavgad in Samvat 1507. This historical poem describes the journey and teachings of Dharmalakshmi Mahatara.
• Nyayasundar Upadhyay, disciple of Jainacharya Jinavardhansuri, who composed the "Vidyavilas Narendra Chaupai" (357 verses) in Narwar in Samvat 1516.
• Ishwar Suri, who composed the "Lalitang Charitra" in Dashpur (Mandsaur) in Samvat 1561. This notable work, influenced by Apabhramsha, is praised for its literary merit and contains historical facts.
• Heeranand (Maladhar Gachh), who composed the "Vidya-Vilas Pawaadon" in Mandap Durg (Mandavgad) in Samvat 1565.
• Mangal Manik (Agamgachh), who composed two folk-tale poems in Ujjain in the 17th century. The first, "Vikram Raja aur Khapra Chor Raas," was completed in Samvat 1638, and the second, "Ambad Kathani Chaupai," was completed in Samvat 1639 in Ujjain.
• Premvijay (Tapagachh), who composed the "Atm-Shiksha" (185 couplets) in Ujjain in Samvat 1662. This useful work has been published.
• Kripasagar, who composed the "Nemisagar Upadhyay Nirvana Raas" (10 cantos, 135 verses) in Ujjain in Samvat 1672. This historical poem mentions the Avanti Parshvanath of Ujjain.
• Vijayakushal's disciple, who composed the "Sheetal Ratna Raas" in Samer town near Ujjain in Samvat 1661, with its completion attributed to the grace of Magasi Parshvanath.
• Manohardas (Vijay Gachh), who composed the "Yashodhar Charitra" in Dashpur in Samvat 1676.
• Ramdas (Gujarati Lokagachh), who composed the "Punyapal ka Raas" (823 verses divided into four sections) on the significance of charity in Sarangpur in Samvat 1693.
• Vivek Vijay (Tapagachh), who composed the "Sati Mriganklekharaas" (4 sections, 35 cantos) in Shahpur, Malwa, on Vijayadashami in Samvat 1730.
• Shri Manvijay (Tapagachh), who composed the "Nav Tattva Raas" (15 cantos) in Bhopawar in Samvat 1718.

The article also mentions Magasi Parshvanath as a significant Jain pilgrimage site, revered by both Swetambara and Digambara communities. Several poets who visited this site have composed stutis to the deity. The author quotes from Udaysagar Suri's "Magasi Parshvanath Stavan." He also refers to Subuddhi Vijay's "Magasi Parshva 10 Bhav Stavan."

Nahta acknowledges that the composition location for some works is uncertain. For instance, a Mahavir Stavan from the late 15th or early 16th century, mentioned in "Jain Gurjar Kaviyo," is attributed by Desai to Ujjain, but the text itself does not explicitly mention Malwa or Ujjain. The identity of the poet, Bhav Sundar, is also considered uncertain.

Moving to prose, the author mentions Muni Merusundar (Kharataragachh) from the 16th century as a prolific prose writer. While residing in Mandavgad, he wrote several Jain commentaries under the title "Balavabodh." The "Shilopadeshmala Balavabodh" was composed in Samvat 1525 at the request of Dhanraj, a prominent Shrimāl merchant in Mandavgad. The author also cites Khemraj's "Mandapachal Chaitya Paripati," a 23-verse historical composition describing the Jain temples in Mandavgad in the 16th century, written in the "Phag Bandhi" style.

The article concludes by emphasizing that Malwa has produced numerous Jain scholars, ascetics, poets, and wealthy laypeople. It suggests that a comprehensive search would lead to the creation of a significant doctoral dissertation. Even the history of Jainism in Mandavgad alone offers enough material for substantial research. The author mentions Dr. Subhadra Devi Kraubhe's efforts in collecting material on the Jain history of Mandavgad. He also refers to his own published articles on literary figures and historical aspects of Mandavgad and Dhar.

Finally, Nahta mentions Malvi Rishi of the Poonamgachh in the early 17th century, whose name derives from his origin in the Malwa region. He notes that a specific event related to his life throws light on a hidden aspect of Malwa's history, as detailed in a previously published article about the composition of his "Sajhay" in Samvat 1616. The article also briefly mentions Sitadevi, wife of Solanki Rawat Padmaray of Ajnod village in Malwa, whose son Brahmakumara became Acharya Vinaydev Suri, a poet who composed several works between Samvat 1564 and 1636, even though their composition locations are not specified. The author believes that further research will uncover more works that will enrich the understanding of Malwa's literature and history. He also references an article by Tej Singh Gaur in the "Madhya Pradesh Sandesh" on ancient Malwa Jain scholars and their works, which focuses on Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsha literature, thereby acknowledging that his current article is a partial exploration. He reiterates the need for continued research given the deep and ancient connection between Jainism and the Malwa region, suggesting that a vast amount of literature must have been produced there, making the subject worthy of a PhD dissertation.