Merutunga
Merutuṅga was a medieval scholar from present-day Gujarat in India and was a Śvētāmbara Jain monk of the Añcala Gaccha. He is presently most well-known for his Sanskrit text, the Prabandhacintāmaṇi, composed in 1306 CE.[1][2] He also wrote Vicāraśreṇī in 1350 CE which describes the chronology of Chāvḍā, Chaulukya and Vāghelā dynasties.[3][4]
Merutunga | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14th-century |
| Died | 14th-century |
| Works | Prabandha-Chintamani Vicharashreni |
Works edit
Prabandhacintāmaṇi edit
The Prabandhacintāmaṇi was composed in Vardhamāna (modern-day Wadhwan) in VS 1361 Phālguna Śukla 15, a Sunday.[5] In the text itself, Merutuṅga states that Gaṇī Guṇacandra compiled the first version of the text and that Dharmadeva assisted Merutuṅga in the compilation of the final version.[6]
Therāvalī edit
The Therāvalī of Merutuṅga is a Paṭṭāvalī that presents a chronology from Mahavira to the arrival of and invasion by the Sakas in India.[7]
Vicāraśreṇī edit
The Vicāraśreṇī is a bhāṣya on his earlier Therāvalī and was likely composed in VS 1363 (1306 CE).[7]
Ṣaḍdarśananirṇaya edit
The Ṣaḍdarśananirṇaya is a general exposition, a doxography of 6 contemporary religious philosophies (darśanas) during Merutuṅga's time: Buddhism, Nyāya, Sāṃkhya, Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāṃsā, and Jainism. It is unique among medieval Jain doxographies in that it presents refutations on non-Jain positions found in the other philosophies.
Mahāpuruṣacarita edit
The work has survived with a bhāṣya, likely written by Merutuṅga himself, and is a charita, a biography, of five great figures in Jainism: Ṛṣabhadeva, Neminātha, Śāntinātha, Pārśvanātha, and Mahāvīra.[8] Additionally, in the bhāṣya, the original work is named the Upadeśaśataka and the Dharmopadeśaśataka. It is also referred to as the Vivaraṇa.[8]
Criticism edit
As a historian, Merutuṅga's works are generally regarded to be of poor quality, as compared with his contemporaries and with modern historians.[9][10] Gujarati historian K. M. Munshi states that dates are "the weakest point in Merutuṅga's narratives"[11] and British Indologist A. K. Warder dismisses Merutuṅga's histories as "completely unreliable" and his narratives as "essentially fiction".[12]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ Cort 2001, p. 35.
- ^ Sen 1999, p. 79.
- ^ Kailash Chand Jain 1991, p. 85.
- ^ Rajyagor, S. B.; Chopra, Pran Nath (1982). "Chapter II: Source Materials of History of Gujarat". History of Gujarat. New Delhi: S. Chand & Company Ltd. p. 17. OCLC 12215325.
- ^ Tawney 1901, p. 204.
- ^ Tawney 1901, p. 2.
- ^ a b Eggermont 1969, p. 67.
- ^ a b Winternitz 1996, p. 497.
- ^ Crouzet 1965, p. 237.
- ^ Arai 1978.
- ^ Mahesh Singh 1984, p. 30.
- ^ A. K. Warder 1992, p. 151.
Sources edit
- Cort, John E. (2001), Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-513234-3
- Jain, Kailash Chand (1991), Lord Mahāvīra and His Times, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0805-8
- Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999) [1988], Ancient Indian History and Civilization (Second ed.), New Age International Publishers, ISBN 81-224-1198-3
- Crouzet, François (1965), Studies in the Cultural History of India, Shiva Lal Agarwala
- Arai, Toshikazu (1978), The Structure of Jaina Kingship as Viewed by the Prabandhacintāmaṇi
- Tawney, Charles Henry (1901), The Prabandhacintāmaṇi or Wishing-Stone of Narratives, The Asiatic Society of Bengal
- Eggermont, P. H. L. (1969), The Purāņa Source of Merutuṅga's List of Kings and the Arrival of the Śakas in India
- Winternitz, Moriz (1996), A History of Indian Literature, Volume 2, translated by Sarma, V. Srinivasa, Motilal Banarsidass Publishe, ISBN 9788120802650
- Mahesh Singh (1984). Bhoja Paramāra and His Times. Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan. OCLC 11786897.
- A. K. Warder (1992). Indian Kāvya Literature. Vol. VI: The Art of Storytelling. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0615-3.