2. Introduction to Vasudevahindi

Nature of Vasudevahimdi:—The Vasudevahimdi is a romantic tale which falls in the fourth category. However, the authors of both 1. See Upadhye, Brhatkathakosa, P. xxxix; also Ghatage, A.M., "Narrative Literature in Jaina Maharastri", ABORI, Vol. XVIII, p. 43. 2. This classification is offered by Haribhadrasuri, author of Samaraiccakaha, See Jain, J.C., Prakrit Sahityaka Itihas, Bp. 360-61.

BO 8 a religious tale. Sanghadasa the author of the parts make no secret that it is the first part of the Vasudevahindi, called henceforth as Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa, calls his book as helpful in attaining the four ends of life. Dharmadasa, the author of the second part called Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa makes an - elaborate argument in favour of the tale. He says that just as a sick person is given a sugar-coated pill so also a person excessively interested in reading love-stories (kamakaha) should be told about dhamma through such a type of story. Dhamma forms the basis of the other three ends of life. In connection with the remarks of Dharmadasa it should be noted, that he came forward to attempt the completion of Sanghadasa's Vasudevahindi only because he felt dismayed at the popularity of love-stories, among the people. These popular love-stories (loiya kamakaha) pertained to the biographies of Nala, Dhu(m)dhumara, Pururava, Mamdhata (Mandhatr), Ramana, Janameyaga (Janamejaya?), Rama, Korava, Pamdusuya, Naravahanadatta, and others. The Contents of Vasudevahimdi: The Vasudevahindi, as observed earlier, is a romantic tale employed for religious exhortation. It describes in the first part the story of the wanderings (himdi) of Dhammilla and Vasudeva, which is meant to serve as an illustration as to how the austerities performed according to Jaina precepts are fruitful in bringing about the satisfaction of

2 a j worldly desires both in this birth and the next. Vasudeva, a scion of the Hari dynasty and father of lord Krsna who is remembered as a hero both in the Brahmanical and the Jaina mythology, was, according to the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, a Jaina monk in his former birth. His carnal passions had remained unsatiated before he was admitted to the Order. These sprang up at the time of his death, because of the influence of which he made a renumerative hankering (nidana) that if at all his austerities were efficacious inbringing about good fruit in his next birth, he should be born as a beautiful person desired by damsels. The Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa describes how the hero, because of a scandal, leaves his hometown, Soripura, and is united with several damsels both human and superhuman. Examples of monks and lay followers making such a nidana or acquiring supernatural powers are not wanting in the canon 1. But the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa goes a step further in showing the efficacy of the austerities prescribed in the Jaina canon. In the Dhammillahimdi, it is illustrated how ayambila performed for six months can bring about the fulfilment of worldly desires in the 1. The story of Dovai from Nayadhammakahao and the examples of the lay followers in Uvasagadasao are worth note in this connection. The idea of a monk with nidana is somewhat similar to that of a fallen yogi (See Bhagavadgita, VI,, 35-47.)

10 same birth. Thus, it shows how Jaina austerities which were originally laid down to gain control over the body and through it liberate oneself from the misery of the world, became votive in nature. This, thus, marks a significant stages in the evolution of Jaina religion. the The other characteristics of a romantic tale deployed for religious exhortation are also evident em in the Vasudevahimdi Story Within a Story : In the narrative of the Vasudevahimdi there are so many stories which describe previous lives of various persons to illustrate the omnipotence of the law of kamma². There 1. The examples from the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa are that of Dhammilla (pp.74-76), Pajjunna and Samba (85-91), Amdhagavanhi (112), Vasudeva (114-118), Rattavati and Lasuniya (219), Somasiri (223-24+, Paumasiri (232-40), Jayamta and Samjayamta (252-640, Vimalabha and Suppabha (283-88), Piyamgusumdari (306), Laliyasiri (362) and Kamsa (368). In the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa the story of Nala and Damayanti is described in this form in the Kanagasirilambha (PP. 61b-73a). 3. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 30-31, 115-117.

are also fine parables 1 - 2 sometimes of purely Jaina origin - didactic stories and fables ³. There are also a number of stories of religious herees like Usabha 4 11 1. The following are from the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa: Story of a trader, courtezan and five jewels (P.4); of three friends and Titthayara (Pp.4-5); of trader Laliyamgaya and the queen (P.9); of twins Kuberadatta and Kuberadatta (Pp.10-12); of a caravan trader who was miserly and foolish (P.15). 2. Evil effects of wanton behaviour (pp. 59-61) and thoughtless quenching of passion (P.13) are illustrated in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa There are also stories which endeavour to show that observance of Jaina precepts is not only not harmful but fruitful also in the worldly life,e.g. five vows 【Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 294-97], meat-eating [Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,258-60]. 3. The stories of crows as examples of ingratitude [Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa 33] and greed [Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,168]. Example of a jackal in complacency (P.169) and of a thoughtless monkey (TH.6) are also given in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 157-178.

12 Samti¹, Kumthu², Ara³, Migaddhaya 4, Ara³, Migaddhaya 4, Pasannacamda 5 6 + and Jambu and of popular heroes who are shown to have been converted to Jainism, like Agadadatta and Pabhava³. The Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa gives a long but interesting story of prince Kanagaradha and his wife Isidatta 9, wherein the author strives to show how the parivvayaya monks worked as go-betweens and had no moral scruples in their acts. The Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa also provides us with a Jaina version of the Nala-Damayanti story inserted in the text as a story of a previous birth of princess Kanagavati of Pedhalapura 10. Set Passages: In addition to the various stories the flow of the main story has been interrupted in the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa by long 1. Ibid., 340-43. Previous births of Lord Samti have been described. In these, the story of Meharaha (PP. 337 ff) is similar to that of king Sibi, famous in the Jatakas and the epics. 2. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 343546. 4. Ibid., 268-79. 6. Ibid., 36-49. 8. Ibid., 7-15 10. II.61b-73a. 3. Ibid., 346-48. 5. Ibid., 16-20. 7. Ibid., 36-49 9. II-7-17.

13 of passages on dance¹, painting 2 dance 1, painting ² , music³, music ³, auspicious and inauspicious bodily signs and bodily throbbings, 6 science of evaluating jewels 5, polity and ideal conduct of a courtezan?. How adventure and love play a prominent role can be seen from the independent stories of Dhammilla, warrior Agadadatta and trader Carudatta, and from the several lambhas of the Vasudevahindi wherein are described the exploits of Vasudeva in winning a hundred maidens from of various strata of life: daughters of courtezans, traders, ( Brahmins, and princesses both from the human and the super-human worlds. Authors Parts : This varied material in the Vasudevahindi, as available The first, to us at present is in two parts which are written by two persons separated by a gulf of time. which is referred to as 'Prathama khanda' by its 1. II.156a; also II.209a-211a. 2. II.85-87. 3. II.209a-211a. 4. II-190-93; 159b. 5. II.149-154. 6. II.126b-128a. 7. II.177a-182.

14 editors, has been ascribed to Sanghadasa gani :2 who, according to Muni Punyavijayaji, is definitely different from his namesake who has written a bhasya 3 Brhatkal pasutra ³. on the The second part, referred to as "Dvitiyakhanda', is still in manuscript form 4 and consists of portions of the Vasudevahimdi, which are to be added in the middle of the story (majjhilla-lambha). 1. Edited by Caturavijayaji and Punyavijayaji, and published by Sri Jaina-Atmananda Sabha, Bhavnagar in 1930. 2. Though in the colophons of Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa Sanghadasa is referred to as gani, Dharmasena refers to him as vacaka in his introduction to Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa • 3. Muni Punyavijayaji, Brhatkalpasutra, Vol.V, PP.XX-XXIII. 4. The MS studied for the present dissertation was made available to the author by the Deccan College Manuscript Department, from the L.D. Bharatiya L Samskriti Vidyamandir (Ahmedabad). It is available in two volumes (pothis) which have 50 and 244 folios respectively. Each folio is 8" 8 " x " x 3", and contains 15 lines each. Each line consists of about 55 letters. The MS is in good condition and was written for one and Sobhaggasundari between A.D. 1550 to 1551.

The Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa: In his introduction to the second part of the Vasudevahindi, i.e., Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa, the author Dharmasenagani says that Samghadasa the author of the Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa, left undescribed seventy-one out of hundred chapters (lambhata) of the story of Vasudeval. Dharmasenagani,dismayed at the 15 1. The word lambha or lambhata is used as a synonym of a The Sanskrit word lambhaka is also used in chapter. such a sense in the Sanskrit versions of the Brhatkatha. It meant in such a context 'a chapter' describing the 'acquirement' of a damsel by the hero. a According to Dharmasena, the first and second parts of the Vasudevahindi together describe adventures of Vasudeva which resulted in his marriage with hundred maidens (i.e. lambhata). As can be seen, both from the Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa and the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, every chapter does not necessarily describe Vasudeva marrying a maiden at a time, though it (the chapter) is referred to as a lambha. This shows that the number of chapters may not coincide with the number of maidens married, till the end of a particular chapter. As stated above, according to Dharmasena, Sanghadasa describes in his portion only those adventures of Vasudeva which result in his marriage with 29 maidens continued on next bager

16 praise poured on the 'popular love stories' (loiya based on for kamakaha), composed the 'Ovitiyakhanda' the portion left out by Sanghadasa, who had done so through the fear of the magnitude of the work (vittharabhiruna). f.n.contd. says in whose list Sama and Vijaya are at the beginning and Rohini at the end. In actuality, in the published text as available to us, the number of maidens, as arrived at by listing together the names in the colophons which are given as a collection (samgahani) in the form of an appendix given at the end of the book, comes to 27. Sandesara, unable to account for the discrepancy, that either two lambhas must have been lost, one of them being Piyadamsanalambha. He further says that such a name of the lost lambha can be imagined on the basis of the list of wives enumerated in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa [P.367]. In this list, which appears in the Devakilambha, Piyadamsana is enumerated as one of the wives of Vasudeva. He also offers another alternative and that is that the 29 lambhas referred to must be inclusive of the Devakilambha. these explanations, however, are untenable as can be seen from the evidence of the MS. material. In the MS. of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa there is a sort of appendix (samgahanipaya) incorporating the names of the wives of Vasudeva. Here, in continued on next page Both

17 However, one does not get any confirmation of such a state of affairs, at least from the present Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa Probably such a stand of Dharmasenagani was motivated by two reasons: by taking such a stand he intrusion, could avoid all criticism arising out of his authenticity and could secondly could conter authencity Land antiquity to his own composition. The above remarks would be more clear in the light of the discussion of the origin of the Vasudevahimdi , done at a later stage. Antiquity and Parallels : Both the authors state that the contents of the Vasudevahindi have come to them by tradition. Sanghadasa says that the two stories, i.e. Dhammillahimdi and Vasudevahimdi were both related by Lord Mahavira to king Seniya at his request. Later on it was preserved by the reciters of f.n.contd. addition to the names of those given in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, names Somadatta and Vijayasena also occur. They are said to from Campa. In the be the daughters of musicians/Gamdharvadattalambha of the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, Vasudeva is described to have married Sama and Vijaya at Campa. made in the colophon. However, no mention of it is About Piyadamsanalambha it is more than sufficient at this stage, to state that it is the same as Pumdalambha of the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa

18 Anuoga, Abhaya and others; and was employed in religious preaching by those who wanted to lecture on the four ends of life 1. Dharmasena describes the Vasudevahindi as the essence of the Ditthivaya, and says that he knew Vasudeva's story through the learned preceptors who received it by tradition and through snuta treatises (suyanibamdhesu). Apart from the information from the authors of the Vasudevahimdi , the Jaina tradition remembers Bhadrabhahu as the author of a treatise named Vasudevacarita. 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 26. See also Muni Punyavijayaji's article, "Prathamanuyoga ane tena Praneta Arya Kalaka", wherein the with the help of various references to Prathamanuyoga A he has tried to show how the original Prathamanuyoga was lost and was replaced by Kalaka by his own treatise of the same title. He also shows how the scope of the Prathamanuyoga literature was enlarged so as to include the biographies of all the salaka-purusas of L and the members of Dasara family instead only the biographies of the Saviours and how sanctity was accorded to various treatises by stating that their theme originates from the Prathamanuyoga. See Acarya Sri Vijayavallabhasmaraka Grantha (1956, Bombay), THp. 49-56.

as 19 It cannot, however, be ascertained to-day to what extent the present Vasudevahindi is indebted to the lost Vasudevacarita of Bhadrabahu. But it should be agreed that some of the portions, from both the parts, were definitely handed down by oral tradition 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa and Brihatkatha : those Granting that some portions of the Vasudevahimdi , especially are that which is religious in nature, is part of the unobstructed Jaina tradition, it can be said, while - 1. There are two instances in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa - both in connection with the stories describing previous births and as such definitely of Jaina origin wherein the text mentions a different tradition pertaining to certain parts of the story with expressions like 'Ettha padho' (P.306) and 'Kei bhanamti' (TH.325). In the Kanagaradha story of the Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa the author quotes a different acarya for a different tradition with the expression 'Avare puna ayariya' [1.16ab]. So also, while explaining an aphorism, two explanations I have been offered, the second with words 'Kesim ci puna' [II.221a]. The possibility of these passages having 6 been incorporated at the later stage even by scribes cannot be ruled out.

remaining within the limit of fairness, that the Vasudevahindi is a Jaina version of the Brhatkatha of Gunadhya, the exploits of Naravahanadatta having been ascribed to Vasudeva. 20 Apart from the detailed discussion about the similarity between the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa and Brhatkathaslokasangraha (BKSS) from Nepal¹, an instance indicating the indebtedness of the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa to the Brhatkatha may be quoted. In the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa the Priyadarsanalabha of the BKSS appears as Pumdalambha² in the Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa Aquaintance of the author is with the BKSS or a similar version of Brhatkatha revealed in his reference to Piyadamsana (Priyadarsana) 1. See B.J. Sandesara's introduction (Pp.ix-xiii) to his translation of Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa Here he has given a summary in Gujarathi of "Eine neue version der verlorenen Brhatkatha des Gunadhya", a paper read by L. Alsdorf in the 19th International Oriental Conference. 2. This can be seen very easily from the comparison of the two. A summary of the contents of BKSS is given by F. Lacote in his "Eessai Sur Gunadhyaq et la Brhatkatha", a translation of which appears in the QJMS, Vol.XIII, No.4, pp. 93-148.

21 one of the wives of Vasudeva. The lambhas from the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa which are similar to labhas in the BKSS are Madanamancuka (princess Somasiri, Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa], Vegavati [Vegavati, Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa], Gandharvadatta [Gamdhavvadatta, Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa], Ajinavati [Nilajasa, Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa] and Bhagirathiyasas [Piyamgasmdari, Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa]. C Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa and Brihatkatha : Indebtedness of the Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa to the Brhatkatha becomes evident from the similarity of the story of Prabhavati¹, Mandaradeva², the five maidens who had resolved to marry Vasudeva ³ and princes Pota and Ruciradeva who hold a race between a female elephant and horses + Muttavalilambha is an unadulterated copy of the story of Udayana and Vasavadatta. 1. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, I.16b ff; cf. BKM (Brhatkathamanjari of Ksemendra), Pancalambaka, sts. 87 ff. 2. BKM, Pancalambaka, sts. 229-235. 3. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, (Caukannalambaka, II.138 ab; cf. KSS (Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva), Pancalambaka, Laranga 4. 4. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, Imdasenalambha, II.316 ff. cf. BKM Velalambaka, guccha 1.

Indebtedness of the Vasudevahimdi : the 22 From a cursory comparison of three Sanskrit versions of Brhatkatha and the two parts of the Vasudevahindi, it becomes evident that the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa is more akin to BKSS and the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa to KSS' and BKM. A statement such as 'the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa is a copy of Nepalese BKSS', and 'the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa that of Kashmirian version of Brhatkatha especially the KSS' is a tempting one, and can be made only after an exhaustive comparative study of these versions. If such a study yields the above results, then it would be easy to understand why Dharmasena was compelled to write a Ovitiyakhanda of the Vasudevahindi, which had to be inserted in between the Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa Contents of Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa and Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa : The two parts of the Vasudevahindi are from the pens of two different persons separated by a gulf of a time. As a result of this we find a lot of divergence in the nature of the contents and style of these two books. The Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa is throughout dominated by religious sermons strewn in the biographies of tirthakaras, stories of legendary figures like Parasurama, Rama, Jamadagni and members of Vrsni family, the names and exploits of whom are familiar to us from the Puranas and the epics. The Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, from that point of view, seems to have no vigour as its main

23 J objective is more to complete by narration the number 74 of the wives of Vasudeva 1. Besides that, in the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa 100 we have to glean the material on various topics like music, painting, dance, auspicious signs of body, good directly and bad omens%3B while the author of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa straightway offers these in somewhat independent lectures on that a L particular topic in lumpsum like the Varnakas. And the pity further with these passages is that they neither fit in smoothly with the narrative nor are they coherent by themselves. In this connection examples that could be cited are those of the Purisitthilakkhana in Sasilehalambha or the extract in the form of a hand-book for 2 h 1. In fact some of the lambas in the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa are of a stereotyped nature. It can be very well seen that to enhance the number the original character of Pabhavati has been split into two. There is nothing of view the h new, from the point of theme, in the Anilajasalambha [see Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II.24b-26a]; it virtually repeats the Pabhavatilambha. There is a very close resemblance between Mayurasena Rayanavadilambhas of Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa and Bamdhumadi - Piyamgu sumdari lambhas of Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa In fact one feels that Dharmasena might have written these with a view to display skill in handling the same theme in a different way. 2. II.190-193.

༢༩ courtezans 1, the summary of KodaMaya Atthasattha 2 or even the passage on the appraisal of jewels ³. These passages do not read like a continuous consistant talk of a single person. They look more like passages taken word to word from various books on these subjects. A couple of instances from the above passages would be more illustrative in this connection. Vasudeva says that the 'mayura' type of person should be avoided by courtezans. In the next sentence the author of the Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa gives different explanations of the word mayura in the fashion of a commentator 4. Similarly when the author says that he would describe signs of women he inbetween also gives good and bad signs of men. He also repeats here and there his own statement: the signs of a mother of Cakkavatti are described twice in the passage without any satisfactory reason whatsoever. The passage giving the classification of textiles is such that one is tempted to remark that it has been taken from the Anuyogadvarasutra in toto 5. Of course, while making these observations about the nature of some of the incoherant passages in 1. II.177a-182. 3. II.149a-154. 5. II.149ab. 2. II.126b-128a. 4. II.178b.

25 the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, one has to be more cautious, as all these observations are based on the text of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa as provided by only one MS. The inconsistencies described ✓ above might be a result of a later interpolation and might be avoided after properly editing the text. The Language and Style of Narration : The difference in this double authorship is evident also in the styles. Alsdorf describes it as presenting a 'picture of a living language, 1; and Ghatage remarks that the work is simple but much uneven as 'the author tries to show his poetic skill in describing towns and countries, with dubious success'. He further says that 'whenever he comes to narration of the story he becomes fairly simple and effective,B and his narrative moves with rapid strides, 2. 1. L. Alsdorf, "Vasudevahindi : A Specimen of Archaic A Jaina Maharastri", BSCS, Vol. VII, THp.320-21. 2. Ghatage, A.M., ABORI, Vol. XVI, "Narrative Literature in Jaina Maharastri", P.33. In his descriptions of maidens and heroes the author of the Vasudevahimdi resorts to a list-like style wherein every part of the body is taken notice of one by one%;B See Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 37, 121, 132; and 162, 175.

26 The variety of peculiar and archaic forms the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa presents is useful not only in the study of the evolution of Jaina Maharastri Prakrit but also to explain certain moot points in Prakrit grammar in general. Literary Merits : The author of the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, alike the canons, has a liking for onomatopoetic words like, gulagulemta, madamadassa, dhamadhamemta, or ukkadaphuda-viyada-kudilakakkhada-viyada-phadadova karanadaccha and sometimes 2 employs sayings like 'kim pabhayam suppena chaijjai '3 or those referred in the witty competition of Samba and Subhanu 4, or those in the remorse of Dhammilla 5. The set comparisons of classical Sanskrit literature are to be noted in the bodily descriptions of men and women, or in similes like 'piyavayanam iva mahuram, guruvayanam iva pattham, tisiena paniyam am 6, or mehamukko viya miyamko, 7 muha-pauma-sommaya parihiyamana sasamko or expressions 1. L. Alsdorf," op. cit., Vol. VIII, Pp. 2. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 44-45 3. Ibid., 144. 4. Ibid., 105 5. Ibid., 34-35. 6. Ibid., 123 7. Ibid., 344. " B 508,

27 like 'damtappabha-paribhinnakkharam bhanai'! The Style of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa : The style of Dharmm Masena is completely different Here one can very well find from the one described above. the deep impress of the later Sanskrit prose narratives. Apart from the author's crave to display his erudition through lengthy extracts on diverse technical topics, he seems to be very much happy while dwelling upon lengthy Sun-set 4, autumn, rest³, description of mountains ², forest ³, Sun-set 4, rainy season 5, cities, palaces 7, royal roads 8, and wars 9. These descriptions are not many times quite upto the mark as they are full of repetitions and lengthy enumerations. The author has special fervour for what one can call a 10 train of utpreksas and similes. The author of Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa 1. Vasudevahimdi by Sanghadasa, 83. 3. II.219a ff. 5. II.81b-83a. 2. 1.41-42. 4. II.187b. 6. II.147a, 157b. 7. II.51 ff. 147a-148a. > 8. II.188b.ff. 9. II.1-2, 36a, 143a ff, and 219a. 10. E.g. Sanneti va, nimamteti va, avabhaseti va, anuvaeti va, etc.%;B Wh(M), 1.41a, II.183a, 231b. Heroines have been compared fully with a river; Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa,I.20b, 115b. A long list of upamanas for one upameya: Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, I.42b,189b.

28 also seems to have a craze for details ¹, and a sort of frankness in giving details of erotic acts 2. He also occasionally gives out some pieces of poetry ³. chooses Sandesara likes to describe the language of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa as 'archaic' 4. Still, Still, however, some forms which are akin to those in MIA Languages as 'daveti'5 ,6 (meaning 'shows') and 'lutta Kukkura' (meaning 'a dog suffering from skin disease') make one feel otherwise. The Date of Vasudevahimdi [The Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa : Alsdorf regards, and quite rightly so, the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa as the oldest non-canonical Jaina prose on the basis of the archaic language very near in form to the beginning 1. E.g. 19 acts of sorrow [Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, 223a]; 21 characteritics of a friend, [Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, 27b-28a]. 2. II.24a, 182b. 3. Eleven stanzas sung by Susena to win the love of Vidyadharis, II.223b; some stanzas of bard poetry; 148b. 4. See introduction (P.15) to his Gujarati translation of Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa 5. I.21a. 6. II.182.

29 of Jaina Maharastri, and to the language of the early canonical literature. The use of vedha metre according to him is another proof sustantiating his observation 1. k As the work of Sanghadasa has been referred to in the Avasyakacurni, it would not be wrong to place it in the early decades of the 6th Century A.D.2 1. BSOS, Vol. VIII, p. 320-21, 332-32; also "A New Version of the Agadadatta Story" NIA, I, P. 287. A TH.320; 2. L. Alsdorf, "A Specimen' etc.", BSOS, Vol. VIII, Ghatage, "Narrative Literature in Jaina Maharastri" no ABORI, Vol.XVI, P.32; also Sandesara, Introduction, TH.ii.

30 The Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa: It is quite clear that this second part ascribed to Dharmasenaganimahattara was written after Sanghadasa's work, i.e. after 6th Century A.D. The lower limit to the work has been offered by the date of the MS from Ahmedabad used for the present study. The scribe notes at the end of the MS that he completed the dark copying work on the 11th day of the black half of Sravana in the year 1606 of the Samvat (i.e. Vikrama Samvat) • This coincides with 29th July 1551 of the Christian Era. Sandesara, while discussing the date of the the ren Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa, states that on the basis of archaic nature of the language of the work it can be safely placed in the 7th- 8th Century A.D. But he does not adduce any evidence in support of his statement. And actually there is no conclusive evidence at hand on the basis of which the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa can be dated accurately. Still certain conjectures about the probable date of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, which are subject to alteration, can be made here. In the MS of the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa utilized for the present study, the author describes Vasudeva's war with Mamdaradeva. In the course of the description, Vasudeva gives his own reflections in the following words :

31 "cimtitam ca me etam jam suniliai adipurahe (adipurane ?) jaha Bharatasamino vi bhatara vi tesu Mehamuhesu ruvatthitesu uvasaggo kau tam ee te vi cilata vaddhana.....etc." If in the above passage the word 'adipurahe' the refers to, Adipurana of Janasena (9th Century A.D.) L wherein a passage describing Bharata's battle with Meghamukha and Naga gods does occur¹, and if the passage is not a later interpolation, then the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa could be dated later than the Adipurana. This will make the Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa a a work of the 9th Century A.D. or of even later date. Similarity of the Vasudevahimdi by Dharmadasa with the Kashmirian he recensions of Brhatkatha in Sanskrit (11th Century A.D.), and long passages dealing with the life of courtezans, appraisal of jewels, etc. may also serve as a supplementary evidence. In this connection, it will also be interesting to note the reference to Kosala Janapada which is said to have included 18 forest kingdoms within its territory. From the Gupta inscriptions it is known that the kingdom of Dahala was ruled by Sanksobha 2. It is not known under 1. Parvan 32, sts. 46-76. 2. Fleet, CII, Vol. III, Pp. 113-16.

32 whose suzerainty this territory of eighteen forest kingdoms was till the second quarter of the tenth Century A.D., when Yuvaraja I of the Kalachuris drove the Rastrakutas out of Dahala 1. This sway over Tahala might have caused the annexation of eighteen forest kingdoms of Dahala to Kosala janapada to which probably the author of Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa refers. We have thus two distinct parts of the text under study, one of about 6th Century A.D., i.e. late Gupta period, and the other at least a couple of centuries later. The following pages try to bring out the details of the pattern of life as revealed in these two parts belonging to two different periods. 1. HCIP, Vol. IV, pp. 88-89.