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Vyom A. Shah (✉) | 10 February, 2025

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2. Anekārtha Kāvya and Jaina poets

(This blog is Part 2 of series on "Anekārthī Kāvya Traditions". Read Part 1 here.)

2.1. Early Origins

The Jaina canonical texts have not only asserted but firmly established that any āgama sūtra are capable of containing infinite meanings and hence one shall apply due diligence in comprehending the meaning of each sūtra. In earlier times, the learning method of scripture included a careful deliberation over each sūtra and its meaning with regard to all the naya-s (naigama, vyavahāra, etc.) and their sub-types. This led towards a non-rigid disposition over the meaning a single sūtra or even a sentence can hold.

2.2. Origin as literary tool & early references in literature

The earliest attempts of employment of Anekārtha in literature occurs in the Saṃghadāsagaṇī’s Vasudevahiṇḍi (~ 4th century C. E.) where he has done 14 meanings of a single gāthā (चत्तारिअट्ठदसदोय). This reference occurs in Vinayavijaya’s Paripāṭicaturdaśaka. However, the currently available (and published) version Vasudevahiṇḍi doesn’t seem to mention the verse.

Another secondary reference occurs in Prabhācandrasūri’s Prabhāvakacarita where he narrates the episode of Vṛddhavādisūri and Siddhasena. Once when posed with enquiry of meaning of an Apabhraṃśa verse by his Guru – Vṛddhavādi, Siddhasena was not able to explain the meaning. It was then when Vṛddhavādīsūri explained the various meanings of the verse out of which 3 have survived in the text. These historical figures belong to 1st century C. E.

Prabhācandrasūri also mentions another such episode of Bappabhaṭṭisūri (8th century C. E.) where he presents various meanings of an Apabhraṃśa verse (text mentions only four of them). Various such instances are found in Prabandhacintāmaṇi, Prabandhakośa, Prabandhacatuṣṭaya, etc., works.

2.3. Introduction of selected Jaina anekārthī works

2.3.1. Rāghava-Pāṅḍavīya by Dhanañjaya

Author of works like Anekārtha-Nāmamālā, etc. works, 9th/10th century Saṃskṛta poet Dhanañjaya has attained unprecedented fame for his poetic skills (kavireko dhanañjayaḥ). Amarakīrti has regarded him as Dvisandhānakavi. This non-sectarian work portrays story of Rāmacandra and Pāṇḍava-s. Containing about 1105 verses, this kāvya is divided in 18 chapters (sargas) and three commentaries (Nemicandrasūri, Puṣpasena and Devara) are available. This is probably the oldest available Dvisandhāna Kāvya in Indian literary tradition.

2.3.2. Rāghava-Pāṅḍavīya

The author of this work is not known. Through Jinaratnakoṣa, it can be known that three commentaries by Marālaśreṇi, Padmanandin and Puṣpadanta, out of which latter two are as extensive as 7500 and 3000 Graṁ. Rice mentions these works in possession of Gōṅgaḍi Puṭṭappa and Jaina Maṭha, Śravana Beḷagoḷā.

(NOTE: Rice doesn’t identify this as a distinct work from aforementioned. Entry in Jinaratnakoṣa differs.)

2.3.3. Ṛṣabha-Nemi Kāvya by Surācārya

Born as Mahīpāla to Saṃgrāmasiṃha, Surācārya was contemporary to king Bhoja. Prabhācandra’s Prabhāvakacarita provides the account of his life where he mentions Surācārya as the author of this work.

युगादिनाथश्रीनेमिचरिताद्भुतकीर्तनात्।
इतिवृत्तं द्विसन्धानं व्यधात् स कविशेखरः॥

As per records in Jinaratnakoṣa, there is one ṭippaṇa authored on this kāvya.

2.3.4. Nābheya-Nemi Kāvya by Hemancandrasūri

This kāvya has been authored by Hemacandrasūri, disciple of Ajitadevasūri (disciple of Municandrasūri). The kāvya deals with live of 1st tīrthaṅkara - Ṛṣabhadeva and 22nd tīrthaṅkara – Neminātha. An auto-commentary was composed over this kāvya. Poet Śrīpāla is mentioned as the corrector (saṃśodhaka) of this kāvya. This work is unpublished.

(NOTE: Incomplete manuscript of this work is available at Hemchandracharya Gyan Mandir (Patan, Gujarat). For more information on MSS availability, check Jinaratnakoṣa).

2.3.5. Saptasandhāna Kāvya by Hemacandrasūri

Authored by Kalikāla Sarvajña Hemacandrasūri, this kāvya is not available today. The name suggests that it would have contained lives of seven illustratious men. Information about this kāvya is known from colophon of Meghavijaya’s Saptasandhāna:

श्रीहेमचन्द्रसूरीशैः सप्तसन्धानमादिमम्।
रचितं तदलाभे तु स्तादिदं तुष्टये सताम्॥

2.3.6. Saptasandhāna Kāvya by Upādhyāya Meghavijaya

Upādhyāya Meghavijaya was disciple of Kṛpāvijaya. Completed in V. S. 1760 (1703 C. E.), this text is divided into 9 sargas and consists of 442 verses. It deals with life and exploits of seven great men – (5 tīrthaṅkaras:) Ṛṣabhadeva, Śāntinātha, Neminātha, Pārśvanātha, Mahavīrasvāmī and Rāmacandra and Vāsudeva. This kāvya is published with commentary called Saraṇi authored by Amṛtavijaya in 1944. First verse of this work is as follows:

श्रीनाभिजन्मान्वयपद्मभास्करः स्तुतोऽञ्चितः श्रीमुनिसुव्रतान्वये।
जिनः शिवायाऽस्तु दधद्महोदयं स भासतां यद्भजनेजयाश्रयः॥

2.3.7. Catuḥsandhāna by Śobhana & Catuḥsandhāna by Manohara

These works have been mentioned by Agarchand Nahata based on “Digambara Jaina granthakartā aur unake grantha” but no entries are found in Jinaratnakoṣa.

2.3.8. Commentarial Literature on Single-Versed compositions

2.3.8.1. Aṣṭottaraśatārthī by Bappabhaṭṭisūri [8th century C. E.]

This work has been lost now. The reference to this work occurs in Prabhācandrasūri’s Prabhāvakacarita. It contained 108 meanings of the following Apabhraṃśa verse:

तत्ती सीअली मेलावा केहा धण उत्तावली प्रिय मंदसिणेहा।
विरहिहिं माणुसु जं मरइ तसु कवण निहोरा कंनि पवित्तडी जणु जाणइ दोरा ॥
(see Prabhāvakacarita 11.287)

Only 4 meanings of this verse have survived in secondary works.

2.3.8.2. Śatārthī by Vardhamānagaṇī on KumāravihārapraśastiMahākāvya [12th century c. C. E.]

Vardhamānagaṇī was one of the disciples of K. S. Hemacandrasūri. He authored Kumāravihārapraśasti. The 87th verse of this work reads:

गम्भीरः श्रुतिभिः सदाचरणतः प्राप्तप्रतिष्ठोदयः
सत्कान्तारचितप्रियो बहुगुणो यः साम्यमालम्बते।
चौलुक्यनरेश्वरेण विबुधश्रीहेमचन्द्रेण च
श्रीमद्वाग्भटमन्त्रिणा च परिवादिन्या च मन्त्रेण च॥

The author first elucidated 6 meanings of this verse. Later out of curiosity, he explicated 110 more interpretations making a total of 116 meanings encompassing topics ranging from Kumārapāla, Hemacandrasūri, Sajjana, Durjana, etc., to Ratnatraya, Ratnaparīkṣaka, Dayālu, etc.

(NOTE: This work has been published in anthology – Anekārtha Sāhitya Saṃgraha)

2.3.8.3. Śatārthavṛttam by Somaprabhasūri [13th century c. C. E.]

Somaprabhasūri was a disciple of Siṃhasūri. He interpreted 106 meanings of his own following verse:

कल्याणसारसवितानहरेक्षमोह-कान्तारवारणसमानजयाद्यदेव!।
धर्मार्थकामद! महोदय! वीरधी! सोमप्रभाव! परमागम! सिद्धसूरे॥

The meanings range from 24 tīrthaṅkaras, 5 parameṣṭhī (Arihanta, Siddha, Ācārya, Upādhyāya and Sādhu), 5 mahāvrata, etc., to 9 graha, 10 dikpāla, etc. An auto-commentary has been authored on this text interpreting all the meanings.

(NOTE: This work has been published in anthology – Anekārtha Sāhitya Saṃgraha)

2.3.8.4. Śatārthī by Udayadharmagaṇī [15th century c. C. E.]

Lāvaṇyadharamsūri’s disciple Udayadharmagaṇī explained 101 meanings of the 51st Prākṛta verse of Dharmadāsagaṇi’s Upadeśamālā:

दोससयमूलजालं पुव्वरिसिविवज्जिअं जईवंतं।
अत्थं वहसि अणत्थं कीस अणत्थं तवं चरसि?॥

The meanings ranging from Five Parameṣṭhī to Gaṇadhara, etc., have been elucidated by the author.

[Through a secondary reference in Munisundarasūri’s Upadeśaratnākara, it is known the Somaprabhasūri too authored a śatārthī on aforementioned verse.]

(NOTE: Publication information not available. In case you are aware of publication details, please contact the author.)

2.3.8.5. Ratnākarāvataraṇikādyāśloka-śatārthī by Jinamāṇikyagaṇī [1539 V. S. (=1482 C. E.)]

Authored by Vācaka Jinamāṇikyagaṇī, this work elucidates 111 meanings of the first invocatory verse of Ratnaprabhasūri’s Ratnākarāvataraṇikā.

सिद्धये वर्धमानः स्तात् ताम्रा यन्नखमण्डली।
प्रत्यूहशलभप्लोषेऽदीप्रदीपाङ्कुरायतेः॥

The meanings of this verse range from 24 tīrthaṅkara-s to descriptions of fire, cuckoo, monsoon, etc.

(NOTE: This work has been published under L. D. Series 12)

2.3.8.6. Artharatnāvalī by Samayasundara [16th century C. E.]

Authored by Mahopādhyāya Samayasundara, this work contains about 8 lakh meanings of a line. This work was composed in 1646 V. S. (=1589 C. E.) and was read in front of the king Akbar in 1649 V. S. (=1592 C. E.).

राजानो ददते सौख्यम्

The traditional account mentions that once in the royal assembly of Akbar, some scholar commented and tried to make fun of a sūtra from the sacred āgamas which said that each sūtra can contain infinite meanings. This work was composed to counter the scholar’s claim and provide supporting evidence.

(NOTE: This work has been published in anthology - Anekārtharatnamañjūṣā)

2.3.8.7. Śatārthī by Mānasāgara [17th century c. C. E.]

Disciple of Buddhisāgarasūri, Mānasāgara was provided with following verse (2.10) from Hemacandra’s Yogaśāstra by Hīravijayasūri for Śatārtha-Parīkṣā.

परिग्रहारम्भमग्नास्तारयेयुः कथं परान्।
स्वयं दरिद्रो न परमीश्वरीकर्तुमीश्वरः॥

106 meanings of this verse ranging from 24 tīrthaṅkaras to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, etc., were revealed in this text.

[NOTE: This work is unpublished.]

1.3.8.8. Śatārthī by Jayasundarasūri [17th century c. C. E.(?)]

Little is known about the time of Jayasundarasūri since this work does not seem to have survived. This work is said to have contained 100 meanings of following verse from Hemacandrasūri’s Yogaśāstra (2.85):

प्राप्तुं पारमपारस्य पारावारस्य पार्यते।
स्त्रीणां प्रकृतिवक्राणां दुश्चरित्रस्य नो पुनः॥

Other details about the meanings which might have been elucidated in this work are not known.

2.3.8.9. Śatārthavīthī by Saubhāgyasāgarasūri & Pañcaśatārthī by Lābhavijaya [16th century c. C. E.]

Disciple of Labdhisāgarasūri, Saubhāgyasāgarasūri composed a work called Śatārthavīthī encapsulating 104 meanings on the first verse of Hemacandrasūri’s Yogaśāstra (1.1):

नमो दुर्वाररागादिवैरिवारनिवारिणे।
अर्हते योगिनाथाय महावीराय तायिने॥

Lābhavijaya also authored Śatārthavṛttam based on this verse. However, it has been known through TapāgacchaPaṭṭāvalī and the name suggests that it would have been a work containing 500 meanings.

[NOTE: Śatārthavīthī has been published by P. U. Shastri.]

2.3.8.10. Sāraṅgasāravṛtti by Haṃsapramodagaṇī [17th century c. C. E.]

This work was composed in 1662 V. S. (=1605 C. E.) and contained various meanings of following work:

सारङ्गसारकमलादरसोमकान्तदेवागमामृतविभाजनधीरभूते।
वामोपकार! भरताधिप! राजमानवर्णाप्त! बन्धुरशिवाज! हरेक्षभाव!॥

2.3.8.11. Namaskāra-prathama-padārtha by Guṇaratnavijaya [16th century C. E.]

Vinayasamudra’s disciple – Guṇaratnavijaya composed this work containing 108 meaning of the first gāthā of Namokāra mantra –

नमो अरिहंताणं॥

(NOTE: This work has been published in anthology - Anekārtharatnamañjūṣā)

2.3.9. Composition in praise

2.3.9.1. Sarvajñastotra by Somatilakasūri

2.3.9.2. Trisandhāna-Stotra by Ratnaśekharasūri [1418 c. C. E.]

A short composition consisting of five verses incorporating praise of Ṛsabhadeva, Neminātha and Pārśvanātha together. Each verse has three meanings and an avacūri has been authored on this text.

2.3.9.3. Pañcaviṃśatisandhāna Stava by Somatilakasūri

This work is part of Vīrastotra whose ten out of twelve verses embody 25 meanings each. Twenty-four meanings are dedicated to Ṛṣabha, etc., Jinas while 25th meaning is dedicated to his Guru. Moreover, last verse of this short composition is in ‘ṣaḍaracakra’ and ‘aṣṭadalakamala’.

(NOTE: This work has been published with avacūri in Jaina Stotra Samuccaya (Ed. by Caturavijaya)).

2.3.9.4. Other miscellenous works

There are various other works like vīrastava, pratipāda-sāraṅgastava, pratipāda-haristava, etc., which have been authored to present various meaningss of word "sāraṅga", "hari", etc.

2.4. Conclusion

Earliest sandhāna kāvya is said to have been composed by Daṇḍi, but the work has not survived through ages. Thus, Dhanañjaya’s Dvisandhāna is the earliest extant sandhāna kāvya in the anekārthī kāvya traditions. Several references in the commentaries on these verses suggest that the Śatārthī Parīkṣā i.e. examination of śatārthī was likely posed to capable monks in earlier times.

 Bibliography

• Saṃskṛta Vaṅmaya ka Bṛhad Itihāsa Vol. 4 Kāvyakhaṇḍa by Radhavallabh Tripathi
• Jaina Sāhitya kā Bṛhad Itihāsa Ed. by Jagdishchandra Jain
• Anekārtharatnamañjūṣā Part 1, Ed. by Hiralal Rasikdas Kapadia
• Anekārthakāvyasāhitya Part 1
• Saṃskṛta Vaṅmaya Kośa, Ed by Shridhar Bhaskar Varnekar
• Prabhāvakacarita by Prabhācandrasūri
• Prabandhacintāmaṇi by Merutuṅga
• Jinaratnakoṣa, Ed. by H. D. Velankar
• Jaina Stotra Samuccaya, Ed. by Caturavijaya
• Śabdālaṅkāra Sāhitya kā Samīkṣatmaka Sarvekṣaṇa by Dr. Rudradev Tripathi

Works have been drawn from various sources inlcuding Jaina Sāhitya kā Bṛhad Itihāsa, Saṃskṛta Vāṅmaya Kośa, NCC, etc. In case you are aware or any more works of this kind, feel free to ping author at .

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• Works Composed
• Single-versed Anekārthī Kāvyas
• Aṣṭottaraśatārthī by Bappabhaṭṭisūri [8^th century C. E.] (This work has been lost now. 4 meanings have been recorded in Prabhāvakacarita)
• Śatārthī by Vardhamānagaṇī on Kumāravihārapraśasti Mahākāvya [12^th century c. C. E.]
• Śatārthavṛttam by Somaprabhasūri [13^th century c. C. E.]
• Śatārthī by Udayadharmagaṇī [15^th century c. C. E.]
• Śatārthī by Harṣakulagaṇī [16^th century c. C. E.]
• Sāraṅgasāravṛtti by Haṃsapramodagaṇī [16^th century c. C. E.]
• Śatārthī by Mānasāgara [17^th century c. C. E.]
• Śatārthī by Jayasundarasūri [17^th century c. C. E.(?)]
• Pañcaśatārthī by Lābhavijaya [17^th century c. C. E.]
• Madanādaravivaraṇa by Bhāvaprabhasūri
• Pañcaviṃśatistava by Somatilakasūri
• Multi-versed Anekārthī Kāvyas
  • Dvisandhāna Kāvya by Dhanañjaya [8^th/9^th century C. E.]
  • Saptasandhāna Kāvya by Hemacandrasūri [11^th century C. E.] (unavailable now)
  • Dvisandhāna Kāvya by Surācārya [11^th century]
  • Pañcasandhāna Kāvya by Kavi Śāntiraja [pre-11^th century]
  • Rāmapālacarita Kāvya by Sandhyākaranandin [12^th century]
  • Nābheya-Nemi Kāvya by Hemacandrasūri (Bṛhadgaccha) [12^th century]
  • Rāghava-Pāṇḍavīya by Mādhava Bhaṭṭa [12^th century C. E.]
  • Pārvatī-Rukmiṇīya by Vidyamādhava [12^th century c. C. E.]
  • Rāghava-Pāṇḍavīya-Yādavīya by Cindambara [16^th/17^th century C. E.]
  • Rāghavīya-Yādavīya by Someśvara [16^th/17^th century C. E.]
  • Rāghava-Yādavīya by Veṅkaṭādhvarin [16^th/17^th century C. E.]
  • Rāghava-Naiṣadhīya by Haradatta [18^th century C. E.]
  • Saptasandhāna Kāvya by Upādhyāya Meghavijayagaṇī [18^th century C. E.]
  • Kosala-Bhosalīyam by Śeṣācalakavi [18th century C. E.]
  • Abodhākaram by Ghanaśyāma – [18th century C. E.]
  • Yādava-Rāghava-Pāṇdavīya by Anantācārya
  • Yādava-Rāghavīya by Narahari
  • Catuḥsandhāna by Śobhana
  • Catuḥsandhāna by Manohara

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Author of this blog is an enthusiast in Saṃskṛta, Prākṛta and Apabhraṃśa, currently pursuing Masters in Sanskrit. Know more here.