Ratna Karavatarikadya Sloka Satarthi

Certainly! I can provide a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Ratnākarāvatārikādyaślokāśatārthī" by Vācaka-Śrī Jinamānikyagaṇi, edited by Pt. Bechardas J. Doshi.

This text is a commentary (known as a śatārthī or satārthī) on the benedictory verse of the Ratnākarāvatārikā, a work by Ratnaprabhasūri. The title itself, śatārthī, signifies a work that provides "hundredfold meanings" or "many meanings" of a particular verse.

Here's a detailed summary based on the provided information, focusing on the preface, introduction, and general content:

Book Title: VĀCAKA-ŚRĪ JINAMĀŅIKYAGANI'S RATNĀKARĀVATĀRIKĀDYASLOKASATĀRTHĪ

Author: Vācaka-Śrī Jinamāṇikyagaṇi

Editor: Pt. Bechardas J. Doshi

Publisher: L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad

Series: Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Series No. 12

Publication Year: 1967

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I. Introduction and Context:

• The Śatārthī as a Commentary: The Śatārthī is a meticulous commentary on a single, initial benedictory verse of the Ratnākarāvatārikā. The original verse, attributed to Ratnaprabhasūri, is a prayer to Lord Mahāvīra, comparing the lamps of his fingernails to sources of light that destroy the moths of obstacles encountered in composing the Ratnākarāvatārikā.
• Author's Skill (Jinamaṇikya): The author, Jinamāṇikya, was a pupil of Caritraratna. The Śatārthī demonstrates Jinamāṇikya's profound mastery of the Sanskrit language, grammar, and lexicography. His ability to extract over a hundred distinct meanings from a single verse highlights his exceptional linguistic skill and imaginative power.
• Uniqueness of the Śatārthī: A key distinction of the Śatārthī compared to other śleṣa (pun-based) or polysemous works is that Jinamāṇikya is commenting on a verse composed by someone else. This means he had to work with the existing words of the original verse, making his achievement of finding numerous meanings even more remarkable, as he couldn't pre-select words for this purpose.
• The Editor's Contribution (Bechardas J. Doshi): Pt. Bechardas J. Doshi has rendered the text accessible by providing detailed padavibhāgas (word divisions) and their sādhana (derivation or grammatical analysis). He also raises an interesting point about the authority of ekākṣarī (one-lettered word) lexicons in his introduction.
• Manuscript Source: The critical edition is based on a photocopy of a manuscript preserved in the Delā U pāsrayā Bhāṇḍāra, which consists of 61 plates, indicating an original manuscript of 31 leaves.

II. The Śatārthī and Citrakāvya:

• Definition of Śatārthī: While a śataka typically refers to a work with a hundred stanzas, this śatārthī exhibits a hundred different meanings for a single verse, making the title highly appropriate.
• Citrakāvya and Gūḍhakāvya: The Śatārthī is classified as a gūḍhakāvya (concealed poetry) and falls under the umbrella of citrakāvya (picture poetry), specifically the type that involves multiple, concealed meanings within a single verse. These works are known for their intricate wordplay and demand significant intellectual effort to decipher. The editor notes that Jinamāṇikya's work can be compared to a coconut, yielding sweet water only after overcoming a tough outer shell.
• Poetic Conventions: Jinamāṇikya employs various poetic conventions, including rare grammatical usages, manipulating word order and proximity, interpreting absent or present anusvāra (nasalization), and treating similar-sounding or -looking letters (d/l, r/l, ś/s, n/ṇ, b/v) as interchangeable, similar to poets like Bhāravi, Māgha, and Harṣa.
• Purpose of Citrakāvya: While poets traditionally write for pleasure, fame, advice, or wealth (the latter two being unlikely for a Jain monk like Jinamāṇikya), the Śatārthī is seen as a means for the author to engage his mind fully, achieve concentration, and potentially aid in his spiritual goal of mind control. The citrakāvya form, in this context, is not just verbal acrobatics but a form of intense mental discipline.

III. The Author, Jinamāṇikya:

• Genealogy: Jinamāṇikya was a disciple of Caritraratna, who in turn was a disciple of Jayacandrasūri, whose teacher was Somasundarasūri, associated with the Candragaccha. His disciple, Vijayamuni, composed a prasasti (eulogy) in 1539 V.S. (Vikram Samvat), placing Jinamāṇikya in that period.
• Erudition: His extensive use of Siddhahemacandravyākarana and Uṇādi (Uṇādiprakaraṇa) points to him being a diligent student of these foundational texts.

IV. The Satārthī and Lexicography:

• The Challenge of Ekākṣarī Lexicons: A significant discussion point raised by the editor is the authority of ekākṣarī (one-lettered word) lexicons. Unlike older lexicons like Amarakośa or Nirukta which often trace meanings back to verbal roots or related words, the meanings assigned to single letters in later ekākṣarī lexicons often lack clear principles or etymological basis. The Śatārthī itself utilizes quotations from such lexicons.
• Examples of Ambiguous Meanings: The text notes the arbitrary nature of meanings assigned to single letters like 'va' (sharp, burning, fire) and 'ka' (sun, peacock, fire, Yama, wind).
• Need for Scholarly Research: The editor suggests that until a governing principle for these meanings is discovered, they should be considered controversial. The Ekākṣaranāmakośasangraha edited by Muni Śrī Ramanikavijayaji, which compiles 26 such lexicons, highlights the variability and vastness of meanings attributed to single and two-lettered words, suggesting a need for further scholarly investigation into their origin and principles.

V. Structure and Content of the Śatārthī:

• The Verse: The primary verse being commented upon is:

  Siddhaye vardhamānaḥ stāttāmrā yannakhamandalī | Pratyūhaśalabhlōṣē dīpadīpāṅkurāyate || (May Vardhamāna, whose nail-lines are copper-hued, become, for the burning of the moths of obstacles, like a shining lamp-sprout.)

• Content Breakdown: The Table of Contents (Viṣayānukramaḥ) reveals the extensive scope of Jinamāṇikya's commentary. He interprets the verse to describe various Jain Tirthankaras (Ṛṣabhadeva, Ajitanātha, Śambhunātha, etc., up to Mahāvīra), their parents (Siddhārtha, Triśalā), disciples (Gautama), brothers (Nandivardhana), significant places (Śatruñjaya, Giranara), abstract concepts (Siddha, Ācārya, Upādhyāya, Sādhus, Jinadharma, Siddhānta, Karmakṣaya, Karma), and even natural phenomena and deities (Sun, Moon, King, Lamp, Fire, Kāmadeva, Cuckoo, Cloud, Mango Tree, Neem Tree, Wind, Night, Locust, Parrot, Creator, Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Pārvatī, Surya, Chandra). The commentary also includes a section on the Siddhahemavyākaraṇa.
• Textual Extent: The Śatārthī itself is noted to be equivalent to 1967 verses in length, indicating the sheer volume of interpretations provided.

VI. Appreciation and Gratitude:

• The Director of the L. D. Institute of Indology, Dalsukh Malvania, expresses gratitude to those who facilitated the publication, including Muni Śrī Malayavijayaji for providing the manuscript and Dr. N. J. Shah for translating the Gujarati introduction.
• The editor, Bechardas J. Doshi, thanks Pt. Dalsukhbhai Malvania for his support and apologizes for any remaining misprints.

In essence, the Ratnākarāvatārikādyaślokāśatārthī is a monumental work of Sanskrit scholarship within the Jain tradition. It showcases the author's profound linguistic acumen and philosophical depth by drawing an astonishing array of meanings from a single devotional verse, connecting it to a vast spectrum of Jain theology, cosmology, and practice. The meticulous editing ensures the preservation and accessibility of this complex and multifaceted text.