Dhanapāla’s Satyapurīya-śrīmahāvīra-utsāhaḥ

Dhanapāla, the Sanskrit and Prakrit poet associated with the Paramara kings, is known to have written a few Apabhramsha works as well. One of them, the Satyapurīya-śrīmahāvīra-utsāhaḥ (in Apabhramsha: Saccaüri-vīra-ucchāhu), is cited somewhat frequently in secondary literature—not because of any great scholarly interest in the image of Vardhamāna that once stood at Sanchore in Rajasthan,…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (vv. 27–28)

These verses, the culmination of Dhanapāla’s contradictory praise, constitute a syntactically-connected pair (a yugalam) that involves a number of references to the Jain scriptures. How is it that this is your teaching, Teacher of the World? It is adorned by the beauty of the glances from an even number of eyes, yet it has the…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (vv. 25–26)

How is it that your voice is the abode of marine life, though it is not full of the beauty of sea-monsters,not rich in fish, without cranes or ducks, and always without many conches?     [How is it that your speech is attended by the thunder of the clouds,     filled with streams of nectar, unconsumed by…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (vv. 22–24)

How it is, Conqueror, that you make available to living beings in this world an auspicious happiness which is both wholesome and not, in which there is both eternal knowledge and no knowledge at all?     [How is it, Conqueror, that you make available a cure     to living beings in this world who are sick and…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (19–21)

How is it that you are devoted to the utterance of sāmans, yet are an enemy of the triple Vedas?     [How is it that you are given to making to encouraging statements,     and are the single enemy of the three kinds of sexual desire?] How indeed are you known by the title of Brahmā, yet…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (16–18)

How are you the seventh of the renunciates (saṁyatas), despite being the second of the ascetics (śramaṇas)?     [How is it that you are the seed of the ascetics,     the best among the renunciates?] How are you, Lord, not the eighth in the world, although you are greater than seven?     [How is it, Lord,     that you…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (vv. 13–15)

How is it that you, ascending to existence in the Saudharma and Sanatkumāra heavens, exist in the world, without having discarded the conduct of the Īśāna, Lāntava, and Araṇā heavens?     [How is it that you, ascending to a tender beauty in boyhood,     you who put an end to jealousy, have never deviated     from proper conduct…

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Dhanapāla’s Contradictions (vv. 9–10)

Conqueror! How is it that the fame that attaches to you is variegated, yet black as sin, white, yet multicolored, with a dark hue in every respect, yet said to be white?     [Conqueror! How is it that your fame     reveals sin like a touchstone, takes many forms,     is essential, is excellent, is known for its…

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