Vivaha Pragnapati Panch Mang Stotram

This document is an introduction and the text of a Jain Stotra (hymn) titled "Vivaha Pragnapati Panch Mang Stotram" composed by Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri.

Here's a comprehensive summary:

Introduction (Page 1):

• Context of Stotra Literature: The introduction highlights that Sanskrit literature has a rich tradition of stotra literature, where hymns are composed to deities, goddesses, and other revered entities in various poetic meters.
• Unique Nature of This Stotra: This particular stotra is described as being somewhat different. It focuses on praising and glorifying the Shri Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra (Bhagavati Sutra), which is the fifth Anga Sutra among the 45 Agamas (canonical Jain scriptures).
• Composition and Meter: The stotra is composed in the Shikharini meter and consists of ten verses (padyas).
• Distinction from Other Agam Stotras: It is noted that other scholars have praised multiple Agamas in their stotras. However, this stotra is distinct due to its "touch of personal experience."
• The Core Personal Experience: The most significant aspect mentioned is the personal experience of the composer, Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri. His guru was Acharya Udaya Prabh Suri. While undertaking a rigorous spiritual practice (six months of deep meditation/devotion) related to the Bhagavati Sutra, Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri fell ill with a fever. He then considered the Bhagavati Sutra itself as a physician and composed this stotra to praise it. Miraculously, on the morning of the 20th day of his chanting and praise, his fever subsided. This deeply felt and important experiential event is what gives this stotra its unique significance.
• Quality of Composition: The stotra is described as having "prasadic" (clear and pleasant) composition with no weakness in the verses, maintaining the essence and flow until the end.
• Phalashruti (Fruit of Recitation): The composer also mentions the benefits obtained by reciting the stotra, encouraging readers to gain merit by chanting it.
• Author's Lineage and Historical Context:
  • The author, Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri, is identified as belonging to the Nagendra Gaccha and possibly the Rajgaccha.
  • Within the Nagendra Gaccha, records indicate the presence of a person named Vibudha Prabh in the 14th century. If this author belonged to the Nagendra Gaccha, he might have been a contemporary or spiritual brother of Mallishena Suri, the author of "Syadvadamanjari" (1292 CE).
  • The manuscript from which this stotra was obtained is estimated to be from the 16th century, based on the style of the script and the condition of the paper.
• Purpose of Publication: The stotra is presented for the enjoyment and appreciation of discerning scholars and enthusiasts.
• Tippan (Note): A note clarifies that the Udaya Prabh Suri mentioned as the guru of the composer (Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri) is from a different branch of the Nagendra Gaccha than the more famous Udaya Prabh Suri, who was the guru of the minister Vastupal and a disciple of Vijayasen Suri. The lineage of this specific Udaya Prabh Suri is provided, showing his gurus and disciples from the 13th century.

The Stotra Text (Page 2-3):

The text itself is presented in Gujarati script. Based on the provided verses and the introduction, here's a summary of the stotra's content:

• Verse 1: Offers salutations and praises the Bhagavati Sutra (Vyakhyā Prajñapti), referring to it as a guiding light, a radiant moon, and a lamp that reveals profound truths within the lineage of the 24 Tirthankaras. It declares victory and salutes "O Bhagavati!"
• Verse 2: Describes a devotee who, with concentration and supported by helpers, engages in rigorous practice (six months of intense devotion) with the Bhagavati Sutra. This devotional practice is said to lead to great Siddhi (spiritual attainment).
• Verse 3: Highlights the various powers and benefits derived from the mantra-like nature of the Bhagavati Sutra, such as control over destiny, overcoming calamities, attracting desired objects, repelling enemies, and dispelling delusion and obstacles. It asks, "What benefit does the Bhagavati not bestow as a mantra?"
• Verse 4: Depicts the Bhagavati Sutra as a treasury of great jewels and abundant gold, cherished by those who practice austerities with true vision. It states that those who meditate on it with the "collyrium of knowledge" will never face poverty in this world.
• Verse 5: Compares the Bhagavati Sutra to an ocean of knowledge, whose immense glory is served by those with immense patience. It says that poets, like clouds, depend on it and shower the nectar of their compositions for the benefit of many.
• Verse 6: Attributes the removal of falsehood and deceit, clarity in perception, rectification of internal scriptural doubts, purity of heart, relief from the fever of desires, good conduct, and the dispelling of the three doshas (faults/impurities) to the Bhagavati Sutra, calling it a physician.
• Verse 7: Praises the Bhagavati Sutra as a unique physician, stating that it does not create ostentation with medicine, nor does it prescribe fasting. It doesn't boast or administer harsh remedies. Despite this, it effectively cures the most difficult diseases of Karma.
• Verse 8: Addresses the Bhagavati Sutra directly, stating that it removes all worldly suffering and diseases without any cause. The composer then expresses his current suffering from an external fever and pleads for compassion.
• Verse 9 (Couplet): Narrates the personal experience. As the composer's guru, Udaya Prabh Suri, was suffering from fever, the composer himself, filled with devotion and gratitude for the Bhagavati Sutra, saw himself cured and free from fever due to its grace.
• Verse 10: Concludes by stating that anyone who recites this stotra, composed by Acharya Vibudha Prabh Suri, on Earth without arrogance, will attain the ultimate shore with the presence of the presiding deity of the scripture, through the spiritual practice of "Anugana Yoga" (possibly referring to rigorous asceticism or meditation).

In essence, the "Vivaha Pragnapati Panch Mang Stotram" is a devotional hymn that not only praises the philosophical and spiritual merits of the Bhagavati Sutra but also serves as a testament to its healing power, rooted in the composer's profound personal experience of recovery from illness through its recitation.