A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s3.19

v2.c20.s3.19

In the 8th century, probably between 705 and 775 A.D., there also lived one of the most distinguished and prolific writers of the Jainas, Haribhadra,¹ a pupil of Jinabhadra (or Jinabhaṭa) and Jinadatta,² from the Vidyādhara-kula. He was born at Citrakūṭa, the present-day Chitore, as the son of a Brahmin, and was instructed in all branches of Brahmanical learning. Proud of his enormous erudition, he declared that he would become the pupil of any man who could tell him a sentence the meaning of which he did not understand. This challenge was inscribed on a plate which he wore on his stomach, whilst another legend has it that he laid gold bands around his body to prevent his bursting owing to so much learning. One day he heard the Jaina nun Yākinī reciting a verse, the meaning of which he did not understand. He asked her to explain the meaning to him. She referred to a teacher Jinabhaṭa, who promised to instruct him, if he would enter the Jaina Order. So Haribhadra became a monk, and thenceforth called himself the "spiritual son" (dharmaputra) of the nun Yākinī. He soon became so well-versed in the sacred writings of the Jainas, that he received the title Sūri (honorific epithet of learned Jain monks), and his teacher appointed him as his successor. According to an unauthenticated tradition, he wrote no less than 1,444 works. Hitherto 88 of his works have indeed been found in manuscripts, and 20 of these are also printed. In all probability he soon wandered away from his birthplace Citrakūṭa, for his life as a monk was spent for the most part in Rājputāna and Gujarat. A Brahmin by birth, Haribhadra was thoroughly well versed in Brahmanism, but he also had a considerable knowledge of the Buddhist doctrines, which may have given rise to the various legends, according to which he secretly procured a knowledge of Buddhism through his pupils and his nephews Haṁsa and Paramahaṁsa, in order to be able to refute its doctrines thoroughly.¹ Haribhadra wrote both in Sanskrit and Prākrit. He was an eminent composer in verse and in prose, and also wrote systematic scientific treatises (Prakaraṇas) and comprehensive philosophical works. Probably, he was also the first to write commentaries to the Canon in Sanskrit. Among his commentaries, those to the two Mūla-Sūtras Āvassaya and Dasaveyāliya have come down to us. While utilising the ancient Prākrit commentaries, he retained the narratives (Kathānakas) in their original Prākrit form.