Catur Vismatu Jina Stuti

Summary

The document Catur Vimśati Jina Stuti is an edited excerpt from Vardhamāna Sūri’s work Śrī-Riṣabhanātha-Carita (completed in V.S. 1160), composed in Prakrit with certain sections in Apabhraṃśa. This excerpt is a devotional hymn to the twenty-four Jinas, narrated as a prayer offered by Bharata Cakravartin at the holy site of Aṣṭāpada Tīrtha. Key points from the summary: Structure: 24 stanzas dedicated to each Jina (one per Jina). 1 concluding stanza — total 25 stanzas. Stanza 24 contains the poet’s name Vardhamāna (nāmamudrā), as was customary. All stanzas name the Jina they praise, except stanza 22 (missing Nemi’s name, possibly an oversight). Language & Metre: Written in Apabhraṃśa using Raddā metre (a 5-line structure with specific mātrā counts: 15; 11/12+15; 11/12+15; 13+11; 13+11). This metre was often called Vastu in Old Gujarati and functions like a miniature Kadavaka. Historical context: Vardhamāna-Sūri was a disciple of Abhayadeva-Sūri (commentator on the Nine Aṅgas). Composed in Cambay (Khambhāt) during the reign of Caulukya king Siddharāja Jayasiṃha. The work was first copied by his pupil Pārśvacandra-gaṇi. Manuscript history: Survives in palm-leaf manuscripts — notably from Jaisalmer (V.S. 1339) and Patan (V.S. 1289). Patan manuscript considered textually superior. Both catalogued in Indological collections at Ahmedabad and Baroda. Essentially, this piece is a medieval Gujarati Apabhraṃśa literary example — a structured poetic homage to all 24 Jain Tīrthaṅkaras, preserving historical, religious, and linguistic significance.