જૈત્રસૂરિશિષ્યકૃત વીતરાગસ્તુતિ
By Madhusudan Dhanki
Summary
Madhusudan Gandhi’s brief piece introduces and publishes a devotional hymn (*stuti*) dedicated to the liberated Jain beings (vītarāgas). He explains that the hymn, preserved in a monastic manuscript, belongs to the genre of stotras recited during worship. The author provides a short introduction situating the hymn within Jain liturgical tradition and notes that it had not been printed previously. The article then presents the Sanskrit text of eight verses praising the serene and omniscient qualities of the vītarāgas. The hymn describes them as embodying supreme compassion and urges devotees to take refuge in them, using traditional metres and alluding to concepts such as liberation and omniscience. Gandhi prints the verses in Devanagari script, offers variant readings from the manuscripts and notes parallels with other Jain hymns. By making the text accessible, the article contributes to the preservation of Jain devotional literature.
Conclusion
The publication of the Vītarāga Stuti provides a valuable addition to Jain liturgical resources. The hymn encapsulates key Jain ideals—detachment, compassion and the quest for liberation—in concise Sanskrit verses. Gandhi’s commentary situates the hymn in the broader devotional tradition and underscores the importance of preserving monastic manuscripts. The article enables scholars and devotees to study and recite a text that might otherwise have remained obscure.