Page 319 of: Yasastilaka and Indian culture (Study)

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YASASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
portions are in Sanskrit and in Apabhraṃśa, among them the verses on the
Bhāvanās towards the end of the third chapter. The following two verses
are cited as specimens:
राया विरंकु सयणो वि सत्तु
इह होइ नडु व कुकम्मवंतु
एक्कलउ पावइ जीवु जम्मु
एक्कलउ परभवि सहइ दुक्खु
जणओ वि तणउ जणणि वि कलन्तु ।
संसाररंगि बहुरुवु जंतु ॥
एक्कलउ मरइ विढत्तकम्मु ।
एक्कलउ धम्मिण लहइ मुक्खु ॥
[rāyā viraṃku sayaṇo vi sattu
iha hoi naḍu va kukammavaṃtu
ekkalau pāvai jīvu jammu
ekkalau parabhavi sahai dukkhu
jaṇao vi taṇau jaṇaṇi vi kalantu |
saṃsāraraṃgi bahuruvu jaṃtu ||
ekkalau marai viḍhattakammu |
ekkalau dhammiṇa lahai mukkhu ||
] We are not concerned with the various comments on the Anuprekṣās
in prose, but it may be pointed out that they are elaborately expounded
in the Bhāṣya on Tattvärthasutra 9. 7 and Pujyapāda's commentary thereon.
The Anuprekṣās are dealt with in detail also in Camuṇḍarāya's Caritrasāra
written in prose in the eleventh century."
in the eleventh century.
This account is based on that
of Pujyapāda who is sometimes copied verbatim, but the description of
the Asravānuprekṣā is interesting as containing a reference to the story of
Yasodhara and Amṛtamati. A detailed interpretation of the Anuprekṣās
is found also in Brahmadeva's commentary on Nemicandra Siddhāntacakra-
vartin's Dravyasaṃgraha (verse 35). Brahmadeva has been assigned to
the thirteenth century."
Despite the extent of the literature on the Anuprekṣās, we do not find
in it much originality of thought, as the prevailing characteristics of the
various literary attempts to deal with them are rather elaboration and
illustration designed to elucidate the cardinal teachings of the Jaina faith.
Every writer on the subject seeks to express himself in as striking a manner
as possible; and both in point of style and ideas Somadeva's exposition
ranks high among the metrical compositions on the twelve Anuprekṣās.
Most of his verses on them are translated below.
1. ANITYANUPREKṢA
(Thoughts on the Transient Character of Things)
उत्सृज्य जीवितजलं बहिरन्तरेते रिक्ता विशन्ति मरुतो जलयन्त्रकल्पाः ।
कोद्यमं जरति यूनि महत्यणौ च सर्वकषः पुनरयं यतते कृतान्तः ॥
[utsṛjya jīvitajalaṃ bahirantarete riktā viśanti maruto jalayantrakalpāḥ |
kodyamaṃ jarati yūni mahatyaṇau ca sarvakaṣaḥ punarayaṃ yatate kṛtāntaḥ ||
] These (five) life-breaths draw the water of life, like a water-wheel, and
leaving it outside, enter the body empty.3 Death, the destroyer of all,
acts with equal effort on old and young, great and small (2. 105).
1 Winternitz: History of Indian Literature, p. 587.
2 A. N. Upadhye: Paramätmaprakāśa, Introduction, p. 72.
3 The process of breathing is represented as a sort of gradual exhaustion of the vital
force, bringing death nearer and nearer.