महाकवि पुष्पदंत की रचनाओं की राजस्थान में लोकप्रियता
By पं ध्न्पकम्द न्यायतीयथ
Summary
The text discusses the popularity of the works of the great poet Pushpadant in Rajasthan. It begins by describing Rajasthan as a land that has produced both brave warriors and scholars who contributed to literature, culture, and art. It highlights the role of Jain monks, nuns, and lay followers in writing and preserving manuscripts over two thousand years, leading to numerous scripture repositories across India containing millions of manuscripts. The tradition of donating scriptures (jnandana) is noted as one of the four types of charity practiced by Jain acharyas, considered more meritorious than building temples or installing idols. The text explains that scriptures are worshipped alongside deities and gurus, and the practice of self-study in temples has helped preserve Jain knowledge. Among the languages used for literary creation, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsha, Rajasthani, and Hindi are prominent. The most significant achievement of Rajasthan's scripture repositories is the preservation of Apabhramsha literature, with 80 percent of Apabhramsha manuscripts found there. The Aamer scripture repository, now relocated to Shri Mahavirji, contains over 60 Apabhramsha manuscripts. The works of Mahakavi Pushpadant are the most popular among Apabhramsha poets in Rajasthan. A study of published catalogs reveals over 75 manuscripts of Pushpadant's works in Rajasthan's repositories, many important for editing. The oldest manuscript is of Uttarapurana from 1391 VS. Pushpadant has three extant works: Mahapurana (an epic), and the khandakavyas Nayakumarachariu and Jasaharachariu. The text then lists specific manuscripts of these works in various repositories, including those in Nagaur, Jaipur, Ajmer, Dausa, Udaipur, Kama, and Bundi, with details such as folio numbers, copying dates, and condition.
Conclusion
The extensive cataloging of Mahakavi Pushpadanta’s manuscripts across Rajasthan’s Jain scriptural repositories reveals a sustained regional investment in preserving Apabhramsha literature, with over 75 manuscripts of his works alone surviving. This concentration ensures that critical editions of texts like the Mahapurana, Sayakumarachariu, and Jasaharachariu can be reconstructed from multiple dated copies, some as early as 1391 CE. The presence of illustrated manuscripts and those copied across centuries demonstrates active scribal traditions and devotional patronage that kept these works accessible. For scholars, this means reliable textual variants exist to study linguistic evolution in Apabhramsha and the transmission of Jain narrative cycles. The outcome is a well-documented literary heritage that not only affirms Pushpadanta’s enduring popularity but also provides a foundation for future philological research, ensuring these medieval compositions remain integral to understanding Rajasthan’s cultural and religious history.