Vijaychandrasuri Virachit Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Shri Vijayachandrasuri Virachit Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan," in English:

This document is a scholarly presentation of a Jain text titled "Shri Vijayachandrasuri Virachit Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan" (Praise of the Temple Succession of Mount Raivatachal, Composed by Shri Vijayachandrasuri). The author of the analysis is Babulal S. Shah, and the publication is part of "Z_Aspect_of_Jainology_Part_2_Pundit_Bechardas_Doshi_012016.pdf."

About the Work:

• The "Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan" is a composition in Sanskrit written in a poetic style.
• It describes Mount Raivatachal (Ujjayantgiri), the holy place where Lord Neminath achieved his liberation (Kalyanaka).
• The text covers various mountainous holy sites, including Ujjayantgiri, and mentions Ambikadevi, Shankha, and Pradyumna Shikhar.
• The work consists of 21 verses (padyas).
• Twenty of these verses are composed in the Vasantatilaka meter, while the final verse uses the Adhghara meter to introduce a change in rhythm.

Editorial and Dating Information:

• The current edition was compiled based on a manuscript found in the Gyankhandar (knowledge repository) of the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidyamandir in Ahmedabad.
• The primary manuscript used is No. 2841/7, measuring 26.5 x 11.5 cm.
• The writing time of this manuscript is Vikram Samvat 1473 (1417 CE). It is described as being written in legible characters and is generally considered accurate.
• For comparative analysis, another manuscript from the same repository, No. 8601, was used. It measures 24 x 9.9 cm and dates from the 16th century CE.
• The fact that the primary manuscript dates to 1417 CE places the composition of the "Stavan" before this year.

Dating and Contextual Clues:

• The text references Tejalpur (sixth-dug, or the city below the fort), established by Minister Tejpal, and the Parshvanath temple built there.
• It also mentions the Shatrunjayavataar and Ashtapada temples on Girnar, constructed by Minister Vastupala. These references indicate that the work must have been composed after 1232 CE, as the construction of these temples is attributed to this period.
• A further clue for dating comes from the "Shri Shatrunjaya Mahatirtha Chaityaparipatika" (also known as "Shri Pundrik Shikhar Stotra"). Although the author is not explicitly named in this related work, its style, structure, and form are very similar to the "Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan."
• The scholar Prof. Madhusudan Dhanki has dated the composition of this related work to between 1305 CE and 1320 CE.
• Given the strong similarities and the possibility that both works were found together, the current composition is confidently placed in the first quarter of the 14th century CE.

Authorship:

• The composer does not explicitly mention his Guccha (sect) or Guru.
• However, the 21st verse contains a pun (shlesha) in the line "सेव्यः सैष तमोवितानविजये चन्द्रोपमैः सूरिभिः" (He is served, he is like the moon for the victory over the darkness of ignorance by the Sures). This pun indicates that the author's name is Vijayachandra.
• The analysis notes that there were four Sures named Vijayachandra in the medieval period, all of whom lived significantly before the probable date of this composition.
• Therefore, the author of this "Stavan" is likely an as-yet-unknown Vijayachandra.

Summary of the Verses (Page 2 & 3 - Gujarati text, translated):

The verses extol Mount Raivatachal and the glories of Lord Neminath. Here's a breakdown of the content of each verse:

1. Praise of Raivatgiri: The speaker praises Raivatgiri, which is adorned by the lotus-like feet of Lord Neminath, the ornament of the Yadava lineage and the swan in the lake of Rajamati's mind.
2. Ujjayantgiri's Glory: It proclaims the victory of Ujjayantgiri, at whose foothills the great Tirthas, like the jewel-like Shri Parshvanath of Tejalpur and Vrishabhadeva and other Tirthankaras of Khangar Durg (Uparkot), nurture pure merit.
3. Lofty Temples: The verse describes the lofty temples reaching towards the sky, shining as brightly as the moon, adorning the summit of the mountain, which is about two yojanas high, like a collection of accumulated merit.
4. Neminath's Temple: It speaks of the grand temple of the exalted Neminath, with its golden staffs and finials, which brings joy to celestial damsels and Vidyadharis.
5. Lord's Footprints: The holy footprints of the Lord, worshipped by devotees, are described as removing the web of sins with the tips of their toenails, inscribing merit on the forehead.
6. Darshan of Neminath: Seeing Lord Neminath, who captivates the eyes of all three worlds and is free from all worlds, brings joy to the mind and dispels the mass of sorrow.
7. Nemi's Renunciation: It highlights how Neminath, renouncing his vast kingdom like dry grass and leaving behind his distressed relatives, took initiation, which grants fearlessness to all three worlds.
8. Neminath's Kevalgyan: Lord Neminath attained Omniscience, which illuminates the world and the beyond, bringing joy to beings, likened to a new cloud of the first rain.
9. Neminath's Moksha: Lord Neminath, along with five hundred and thirty-six great Munis, observed a month-long fast and attained the wonderful abode of Moksha (liberation).
10. Celebration: Devout beings, eagerly participating in the bathing festival of Neminath in the Indramandapa filled with images of Jineshavaras, become as joyful as if they had a thousand eyes.
11. Gajendra-pad Kund: The beautiful pond named Gajendra-pad, always filled with nectar-like water, resembling the confluence of all rivers, shines there.
12. Vastupala's Temples: The glorious temples constructed by Minister Vastupala, such as Ashtapadavatar, house the first Jineshavara.
13. Ambikadevi's Protection: Ambikadevi, seated on a lion's throne, with a body radiant like pure gold, acting like a bee at the lotus feet of Neminath, protects the assembly.
14. Avalokana Shikhar: Devout beings, beholding Avalokana Shikhar, sanctified by the lotus feet of Lord Neminath, make their eyes fulfilled.
15. Shankha's Liberation: Shankha, like a lion cub in the cave of Jambuvati's heart, pierced the head of the elephant of worldly existence with the sharp claws of penance and attained the pure bliss of liberation (like a pearl).
16. Pradyumna's Liberation: Pradyumna, the son of Rukmini, after becoming a muni, performed austere penances on this summit, purifying his body and mind, and attained liberation, his heart devoted to the celestial damsel Siddhi.
17. Medicinal Plants and Rocks: Various medicinal herbs, shining like the flames of a bright lamp, are found there, and the mountain is graced by the Ghantakshara rock, which dispels heat.
18. Forest Beauty: The beauty of the forest, adorned with new leaves, smeared with white flowers like sandal, and decorated with beautiful fruits, continuously delights the minds of beings.
19. Welcome of the Forest: The clusters of trees in Sahasravana, Lakshavana, etc., with the sweet sound of cuckoos, seem to welcome the devout beings.
20. Path to Liberation: All actions performed there, such as bathing, anointing, excellent worship, charity, and penance, become the cause of the bliss of Moksha.
21. Final Invocation: The verse concludes by invoking Lord Neminath, described as the crest-jewel adorning Raivatachal's peak, the sun-stone that blossoms the lotus of the universe, the wish-fulfilling gem that completes the desires of the three worlds, and like the moon that conquers darkness. It prays that Lord Neminath, praised by Sures comparable to the moon, may destroy the speaker's eight karmas.

In essence, the "Raivatachal Chaityaparipati Stavan" is a devotional hymn that celebrates the sanctity of Mount Raivatachal and the spiritual accomplishments of Lord Neminath, while also providing historical context through its references to important Jain sites and patrons.