The Offering of Distichs (Doha-pahuda)

Summary

This article presents an English rendering of selections from the Doha‑pāhuda, an early Digambara Jaina text composed in Apabhraṃśa. The term ‘doha’ refers to a rhymed distich, and ‘pāhuda’ means an offering or manual. Likely authored by a monk in the early medieval period, the text consists of short verses instructing aspirants on the path of spiritual purification. The translator provides a brief introduction outlining the historical context of Apabhraṃśa as a transitional language between Middle and New Indo‑Aryan and notes its suitability for devotional poetry. The selected verses address themes such as the impermanence of worldly possessions, the snares of sensual pleasure, the merits of austerity and the inevitability of death. One verse likens human life to a bubble on water, vanishing in an instant; another urges the seeker to conquer anger and greed before they consume the soul. The translator preserves the simple, colloquial tone of the original while clarifying obscure metaphors. Footnotes identify allusions to canonical Jaina doctrines, such as the theory of karma and the stages of spiritual progress (guṇa‑sthana). The article also discusses the linguistic features of the dohas, noting the frequent use of reduplication for emphasis and the absence of gender markers typical of Apabhraṃśa. It points out how these verses prefigure later North Indian vernacular bhakti poetry, suggesting that the Doha‑pāhuda may have influenced saint‑poets like Kabir and Gorakhnath. Finally, the translator reflects on the ascetic ideal expressed in the text: liberation is achieved not through intellectual speculation but through renunciation, meditation and the internalisation of ethical precepts. By making this little‑known text accessible, the article contributes to our knowledge of early Jaina vernacular literature and underscores the continuity between Jainism and the broader stream of Hindi‑Urdu devotional poetry.