Sahityamimansa Prakrit Text Restored

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, focusing on V. M. Kulkarni's work on restoring corrupt Prakrit passages from the Sahityamimānsā:

Book Title: Sahityamimansa Prakrit Text Restored Author: V. M. Kulkarni Publisher: Z_Nirgrantha_1_022701.pdf, Nirgrantha_2_022702.pdf, Nirgrantha_3_022703.pdf Catalog Link: https://jainqq.org/explore/269003/1

This paper by V. M. Kulkarni addresses the significant challenge of restoring highly corrupted Prakrit passages found within the Sahityamimānsā. The author expresses his despair that some of these passages were deemed beyond repair in his previous studies. This paper aims to meticulously restore these previously neglected verses, often by drawing upon other authoritative Sanskrit and Prakrit texts.

Kulkarni employs a scholarly approach, identifying the intended meaning and original form of the Prakrit verses through comparative analysis with:

• Bhoja's Sarasvatikanthābharaṇa
• Narendraprabha's Alarkāramahodadhi
• Pravarasena's Setubandha (specifically its Calcutta edition, Ravanavahamahäkävyam)
• The Gāthāsaptashati (both generally and specific verses)
• Hemacandra's Prakrit Grammar and his glosses
• Bhoja's Srngaraprakasa (which proves to be a crucial source for many restorations)

The paper systematically presents several examples of these corrupt Prakrit passages and their restored versions, detailing the clues that led to their identification and reconstruction. Key restored verses and their contexts include:

1. Verse on page 68: Identified and restored with the help of Singāraprakāśa. The verse deals with a woman's sighing and the suffering in her heart when her husband has committed a fault.
2. Verse on page 96: Highly corrupt, it mentions "Dasakandhara," "Rāghava," and "Janakasuta." It's identified as a verse from Setubandha (XV. 66), but some commentators rejected it due to its unpleasant depiction of Sita.
3. Verse on page 101: Its obscurity is overcome by the significant expression 'suapadamugginnaditta', recognized as a corrupt form of 'sua-padhamubbhinnadanta', leading to its identification with Gāthāsaptashati II. 200. The restored verse describes a wife offering a jujube fruit to her husband, marked by the teeth marks of their first child.
4. Verse on page 104: This corrupt text is identified as Gāthāsaptashati VI. 30. The restored verse describes how wherever the speaker looks, the beloved's image appears, as if the entire direction circle is filled with her likeness.
5. Verse on page 115: This corrupt gāthā is identified as G. S. VII. 53. A key phrase, "mahabhūsana" (a great ornament), used with a double entendre, helps in its restoration. The verse is addressed to the sun, an ornament of the sky, and also to a faithless husband.
6. Verse on page 117: Extremely corrupt, it is restored with the help of two other corrupted versions found in Singāraprakāśa. The restored verse involves a mother wishing that her son's fault falls upon her daughter-in-law's breasts.
7. Verse on page 121: Only the pratīka 'sarikhakula' is given. Based on this and the context of describing lotuses in an ocean (even though lotuses don't grow there), the verse is identified with Setubandha VIII. 99, describing lotuses and their surroundings.
8. Verse on page 155: Almost unrecognizable due to corruption, it is restored using Śrngaraprakāśa. The Sahityamīmārisă author seems to have adopted a passage from Śrngaraprakāśa dealing with six pramānas, Sabdantara, etc. The restored verse describes the path for travelers and animals.
9. Verse on page 157: Similar to the previous, this verse is also restored using Śrngaraprakāśa, drawing from its passages on six pramānas and Sruti. The restored verse describes someone being seen with "straight eyes" by Kesava during the lifting of the mountain, despite carrying a heavy burden.
10. Verse on page 158 (First): Also first cited in Sigaraprakasa, this corrupt verse is reconstructed, describing a beautiful gaze that falls upon Hari (Vishnu) during the churning of the ocean.
11. Verse on page 158 (Second): Highly corrupt, it is restored using the corresponding passage in Smgaraprakasa. The restored verse describes beautiful, fair-complexioned women in autumn nights embracing someone with wide-open eyes.

In essence, Kulkarni's work in Sahityamimansa Prakrit Text Restored is a significant contribution to Jain literary scholarship. It demonstrates meticulous textual criticism and comparative philology to salvage and reconstruct vital Prakrit verses embedded within the Sahityamimānsā, making them accessible and understandable for contemporary study. The paper highlights the interconnectedness of classical Indian literature and the importance of cross-referencing texts for accurate interpretation.