जम्बूसामिचरिउ की कथानकसूष्टि और हिन्दी काव्य-परम्परा

Summary

The text discusses the *Jambūsāmicariu*, a 10th-11th century Apabhraṃśa epic by the poet Vīra, focusing on its narrative structure and its place within the Hindi poetic tradition. The work is considered a key text for understanding the poet’s personality and literary output, composed within a year. The central figure, Jambūsvāmī, is a revered personality in the Jain tradition, with the lineage from Ṛṣabha to Jambūsvāmī being undisputed between the Digambara and Śvetāmbara sects. After Jambūsvāmī, the traditions diverge in their lists of śrutakevalins. The earliest systematic biography of Jambūsvāmī is found in the *Vasudevahiṇḍī* by Saṅghadāsagaṇi (5th-6th century). The text refutes the idea that Guṇapāla’s *Jambūcariyaṃ* was the primary source for Vīra’s work, arguing they were likely contemporaries and that Vīra’s epic is more directly based on the *Uttarapurāṇa*. The epic is structured in eleven *sandhis* and is interwoven with numerous *antakathās* (subsidiary tales), many of which could be removed without affecting the main narrative. These tales incorporate folk elements, including descriptions of love, war, nature, and daily life, as well as proverbs. The poet’s skill is shown through his use of metaphors and a vocabulary that includes words still found in modern Hindi dialects like Bundelkhandi. The text identifies common narrative conventions of Apabhraṃśa *caritakāvyas*, such as auspicious beginnings, dream interpretations, supernatural events, and descriptions of battles and nature. These conventions significantly influenced early Hindi epics like *Pṛthvīrāj Rāso* and *Dholā-Mārū