Vikramaditya Ki Aetihasikta Jain Sahitya Ke Sandarbh Me

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text about the historicity of Vikramaditya in the context of Jain literature:

The article "Vikramaditya ki Aetihasikta Jain Sahitya ke Sandarbh me" (The Historicity of Vikramaditya in the Context of Jain Literature) by Dr. Sagarmal Jain, published by ZZ_Anusandhan, delves into the complex question of Vikramaditya's historical existence, particularly through the lens of Jain literature.

The Historical Enigma of Vikramaditya:

• Prominence: Vikramaditya of Ujjain holds a significant place in Indian history, with his name associated with the widely used Vikram Samvat. His legends are popular in folklore and mentioned in numerous later texts.
• Scholarly Doubt: Despite his widespread recognition, historians remain undecided about his historicity due to several factors:
  • Multiple Vikramadityas: The title "Vikramaditya" was held by many kings, making it difficult to identify the specific one who initiated the Vikram Samvat. Most of these holders of the title are from the 4th century CE or later.
  • Title vs. Name: "Vikramaditya" is a title, not a personal name.
  • Lack of Early Epigraphic Evidence: No epigraphic evidence explicitly mentioning the Vikram Samvat predates the 9th century CE. Earlier inscriptions refer to it as "Krita Samvat" or "Malava Samvat." The earliest clear mention of the Vikram Samvat is from 841 CE (Vikram Samvat 898).
  • Inconsistent "Navaratnas": The celebrated "Navaratnas" (Nine Jewels) associated with Vikramaditya are historically individuals from different time periods.
• Literary Evidence: Apart from a verse in the Gathasaptashati, no literary evidence mentioning Vikramaditya predates the 9th-10th centuries CE. While over a hundred texts describe his life, more than fifty are by Jain scholars, but most of these are from the 12th-13th centuries CE or later, fueling scholarly skepticism.

Jain Sources and the Historicity Argument:

• No Mention in Agamas: The article acknowledges that the Jain Agamas (canonical texts) do not mention Vikramaditya.
• Key Jain Narratives: In Jain literature, Vikramaditya's connection is primarily linked to two narratives:
  1. The story of Kalakacharya: This narrative is central to the introduction of the Vikram Samvat.
  2. The story of Siddhasena Divakara: This also connects to Vikramaditya.
• Pattavalis (Succession Lists): Some pattavalis mention Vikramaditya, stating that the Vikram Samvat was established 470 years after Mahavira's Nirvana, a widely accepted belief, though variations like 466 years and 45 days also exist.
• Dating and the Kalakacharya Story: The Tiloypannatti (dated to the 5th-6th century CE) mentions that the Shaka king emerged 461 years after Mahavira's Nirvana. The Kalakacharya narrative supports this, stating that Kalakacharya deposed Gardabhilla 461 years after Mahavira's Nirvana, installed the Shaka rule in Ujjain, and four years later, Gardabhilla's son, Vikramaditya, defeated them and reclaimed Ujjain.
• Second Shaka Rule and Chandragupta II: The article notes a second, more permanent Shaka rule established in Mathura 605 years and five months after Mahavira's Nirvana, which also led to the Sak Samvat. Chandragupta II eliminated this rule and adopted the title "Vikramaditya." The author suggests that the Vikramaditya who defeated the Shakas of Ujjain was a distinct historical figure, while Chandragupta II's was an adopted title. The former earned the epithet "Shakari" (enemy of Shakas) because the Shakas had usurped his father's kingdom.
• Reliability of Jain Sources: While later, Jain sources offer significant information about Vikramaditya, and their reliability cannot be entirely dismissed.

Arguments Supporting Vikramaditya's Existence (Based on Jain and other Sources):

The author presents several arguments, drawing from the work of Acharya Hastimalji and other scholars, to support the historicity of Vikramaditya:

1. Longevity of Vikram Samvat: The Vikram Samvat has been in use for over two millennia, implying a real founder, and folklore linking it to "Vikramaditya" shouldn't be entirely discarded. Legends often have a factual basis, even if the specific grounds are not yet discovered.
2. Popularity and Foundation: A historical phenomenon with such broad popular support cannot be easily dismissed as entirely false.
3. Gathasaptashati Evidence: The Gathasaptashati (compiled by King Hala in the 1st-2nd century CE) clearly mentions Vikramaditya's generosity. This verse cannot refer to Chandragupta II or later Vikramadityas, as they lived after its compilation. This suggests a Vikramaditya in Avanti existed before the 1st century CE. The verse implies this Vikramaditya was injured and died in battle against a Satavahana king, possibly Hala's ancestor.
4. Bṛhatkathā and Kathāsaritsāgara: Gunadhya's Bṛhatkathā (written in Paishachi Prakrit around 78 CE) and Somadeva Bhatta's Sanskrit Kathāsaritsāgara (based on Bṛhatkathā) also mention Vikramaditya's distinguished qualities.
5. Bhavishya Purana and Skanda Purana: The mentions of Vikramaditya in these texts are not entirely baseless. The Bhavishya Purana identifies Vikramaditya as Bhartrihari's brother and states he was born to destroy the Shakas.
6. Bṛhatkathā Mañjarī: Kshemendra's Bṛhatkathā Mañjarī, based on Gunadhya's work, also refers to Vikramaditya as a ruler who defeated Mlecchas, Yavanas, and Shakas.
7. Bhagavata Purana: The Bhagavata Purana mentions ten kings of the Gardabhilla dynasty, and Jain tradition identifies Vikram as belonging to the Gardabhilla lineage.
8. Title Usage: Kings who came after the era of the Vikram Samvat's inception adopted the title "Vikramaditya" to emulate his fame, indicating the original Vikramaditya was a pre-eminent figure.
9. Subandhu's Vāsavadattā: The poet Subandhu, preceding Bana Bhatt, mentions Vikramaditya's fame in his Vāsavadattā.
10. Malava Coins: The mention of "Malava Gana" on pre-CE Malava coins suggests Vikramaditya likely regained his ancestral kingdom with the support of the Malava republic, hence initially naming his era "Malava Samvat" or "Krita Samvat."
11. Navaratnas and Jain Sages: The inclusion of a Jain monk as one of the Navaratnas, often identified with Siddhasena Divakara, further links Vikramaditya to Jain traditions. Although there is debate on Siddhasena Divakara's precise dating, some pattavalis place him around 500 CE after Mahavira's Nirvana, suggesting a possible contemporaneity with Vikramaditya.
12. Arabic Text "Sairul Okool": An ancient Arabic text, "Sairul Okool" (dated to the 4th-5th century CE), mentions "Vikramatun" and narrates Vikramaditya's tales. This predates the Hijri calendar by 165 years.
13. Jain Literary Output: The substantial body of literature created in Jain tradition concerning Vikramaditya's life strongly suggests his existence in some form.

Specific Jain Works Mentioning Vikramaditya:

The article lists numerous Jain works that narrate Vikramaditya's life, with variations in details. These include:

• Vikramcharitra by Devmurti (disciple of Devachandra)
• Vikramcharitra by Pandit Somsuri
• Vikramcharitra by Rajmeru (disciple of Sadhuratna)
• Panchadandachhatra Prabandh by Ramachandra (disciple of Abhayadev)
• Panchadandatmak Vikramcharitra by an unknown author
• Panchadand Chhatra Prabandh by Purnachandra
• Vikramcharitra by Siddhasena Divakara (mentioned in Catalogus Catalogorum, unpublished)
• Vikramanripakatha (information from Agra and Vadodara Bhandars)
• Vikramprabandh and Vikramprabandh Katha (author Shrutsagar)
• Vikramsencharit in Prakrit by a disciple of Padmachandra
• Vikramadityacharitra by Ramachandra (possibly same as Panchadandachhatra Prabandh)
• Vikramadityacharitra by Shubhshil (disciple of Munisundarsuri)
• Vikramaditya Panchadandachhatra Prabandh by Purnachandra Suri
• Vikramaditya Dharmalabhiprabhriti Prabandh by Merutunga Suri
• Vikramaditya Prabandh by Vidyapati
• Vikramarka Vijaya by Gunarnava

In addition to Sanskrit and Prakrit works, texts in Marugujar and old Hindi, such as Vikram Ras by Harshavimal and Vikramsen Ras by Udayabhanu, also exist.

Conclusion:

Dr. Sagarmal Jain concludes that based on the extensive Jain literary tradition and other supporting evidence, Vikramaditya, the son of Gardabhilla who reclaimed Ujjain from Shaka rule, cannot be dismissed as a purely fictional character. The vast literary output dedicated to him across various languages and genres by Jain scholars confirms his significant historical presence in some capacity, and his association with the Malava region remains evident.