The Jain Poets

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The Jain Poets
JAINA Convention, Chicago 2001

• Yashwant K. Malaiya

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The Jain Poets

• Poetry faith
• Mantungas Bhaktamar Stotra (Sanskrit)
• Ramasimhas Dohapahud (Apabhransha)
• Banarasidass Ardhakathanak
• Padas Prayers
• Budhjan, Dyanat, Anandghan, Bhudhar, Daulat
• Modern Yugvirs Meri Bhavana, RavindraJain,
  Pankaj

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Poetry faith

• Poetry is often devotional.
• Magic of poetry lies in both words and the
  meaning.
• Poetry is enhanced by mystery.
• Songs and music can be more convincing than exact
  reasoning.
• Of thousands of great Jain poets, only some
  samples are presented here.

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Jain Poets of India

• Some of most remarkable poets of India have been
  Jain.
• Early Tamil Poets
• Illankadigal, Thiruvalluvar,Nachinarkiniyar etc.
• Earliest Kannda poets
• Pampa, Ranna, Pona etc.
• Early Hindi poets
• Devasen (Sravakachar) etc.
• Early Gujarati poets
• Shalibhadrasuri (Bharateswara Bahubali Rasa) etc.
  

5
Acharya Mantunga

• Composed Sanskrit Bhatkamar Stotra
• Popular among all Jain sects
• Masterpiece of elegent Sanskrit poetry
• Thought to have mantra-like powers
• Legends surround Mantunga and Bhaktamar Stora
• Subject of books, videos and paintings

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I, the Ignorent One

• buddhya vinaapi vibudharchita padapitha
• stotum samudyata matirvigatatrapoaham
• balam vihaya jalasansthitamindu bimba -
• manyah ka ichchhati janah sahasa grahitum 3

bauw\yaa ivanaaip ivabauQaaica-t padpIz staotuM
samauVt maitiva-gatpaohma\ . baalaM ivahaya
jalasaMisqatimandu ibamba\ manyaÁ k cCit janaÁ
sahsaa gahItuma\ . 3 .
O Lord ! seated on the throne adored by gods. I
am trying to praise you , although 
feeble-minded. Who else, but a child, would try
to catch the image of the moon reflected in
water .
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Who Influenced Kabir?

• Kabir one of the most influential poets
• Did not believe in rituals
• Staunch proponent of vegetarianism
• Sikhism heavily influenced by Kabir
• Who influenced Kabir?

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Muni Ramsimha

• manu miliyau paramesaraham,
• paramesaru vi manassa.
• vinni vi samarasi hui rahiy
• pujja chadhaaun kassa? 50

• Quoted by
• Acharya Amritchandra (904-962 CE),
• Acharya Jayasen (1292-1323 CE),
• Hemachandra Suri (1088-1173)
• Lived in Rajasthan
• No personal informaion available.
• Kabir follows his expression.

maNau imailaya prmaosarhM prmaosaÉ iva
maNassa. ivaiNNa iva samarisa huš rihya pujja
caZaM kssaÆ 50
My mind has met the supreme being, the supreme
being has met my mind, both have become one, who
should I offer the puja?
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Who am I?

• tarunau buddhau balu hau.
• surau pandiu divvu
• khavanau vandau sevadau
• ehau chinti ma savvu .33.

tÉNa bauD\Z baalau h. saUr pMiD
idvvau KvaNa vand saovaD eh icaMit ma savvau
.33.
That I am a young man, old or child, brave
warrior or a noble scholar, I am a kshapanaka,
vandak or shvetapat, don't think that way.
Kshapanaka Shvetapat Vandak?
10
Banarasi Das

• Born 1586, Akbar ruling.
• Grew up in Jaunpur
• Later in Agra
• Faced many troubles in life.
• Wrote Samayasar Natak
• Led Adhyathm movement
• First autobiography in India Ardha-Kathanaka

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When Akbar Died

• Cpit Akbar saaih jalaala
• nagar Aagaro kInaao kala
• Aaš Kbar jaÝnapur maÐah
• pjaa Anaaqa BayaI ibanau naah.
• saIZ,I pr bazyaao hutao
• BayaÝ Barma icat caala

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When Akbar Died
Gar Gar dr dr ikyao kpaT hTvaanaI naihM baOzo
haT. Balao vas AÉ BaUYaNa Balao to saba gaaZo
QartI tlao. Gar Gar sabaina ivasaaho
Sas laaogana pihnao maaoTo vas. Mca naIca
kao naihM pihcaana QanaI dirdI Bayao samaana.
At all the houses, doors were kept
closed, merchants stopped sitting at the
shops.  Nice clothes and ornaments were all
buried under the ground.  People started keeping
their swords ready, they started wearing coarse
clothes.  You could not recognize the status of
a person,the rich and poor looked alike.
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My Qualities Faults
 Then at Banarasi's home, the third son too,
closed his eyes. Banarsi has been very sad, his
heart has been overwhelmed with grief.
  Attachment is so powerful, it overpowers both
ignorent and the wise. Two years have passed, but
I haven't overcome my grief. Banarasi has told
his tale of 55 years. Married three wives, had
two daughters and seven sons. All nine died, like
trees in fall, we remain like bare trunks.
  .. Now let me mention the qualities and flaws
of Banarasi,    I can speak in pure Sanskit and
Prakrit. I know the dialects of many regions. My
heart is pure and it is supported by samyakatva.
But no one is perfect or flawless. ..
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My Qualities Faults
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BudhjanJaipur 1773-1838

• prabhu patit pavan main apavan, charan ayo sharan
  ji.
• yo virad ap nihar svami, met jaman maran ji.. 1..
  
• jachun nahin suravas puni, nar raj parijan
  sathaji.
• "budh" jachahun tuv bhakti bhav-bhav, dijiye
  shivanathaji.. 8..

pBau pitt pavana maOM Apavana carNa Aayaao
SarNa jaI. yaao ivard Aap inahar svaamaI maoT
jaamana marNa jaI.. 1.. jaacaUM nahIM saurvaasa
puina nar raja pirjana saaqajaI. "bauQa"
jaacahUÐ tuva Baigt Bava\ Bava dIijayao
iSavanaaqajaI. 8.
Lord ! redeemer of the fallen! I seek the shelter
of your feet. Looking at your face, eliminates
the cycle of birth death Seek neither heaven
nor companionship of royals, I seek devotion to
you, life after life. O Lord in Moksha.
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Daultram

• ham to kabahun na nij ghar aye,
• par ghar phirat bahut din bite,
• nam anek dharaye

• Hathras (1798-1666)
• Chhipa by profession
• Inspired by Budhjan
• Author of Chhah Dhala

hma tao kbahuÐ na inaja Gar Aayao pr Gar ifrt
bahut idna baIto naama Anaok Qarayao
I have never been home have spent a long time in
other's homes have had many names. .
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Anandaghan

• ab ham amar bhaye na marenge
• ya karan mithyat diyo taj
• kyon kar deh dharenge

Aba hma Amar Bayao na maroMgao yaa karna imaqyaat
idyaao tja _at_yaaoM kr doh QaroMgao
Now I will be immortal, I will not die that is
why I have given up false hoods why will I bear a
body again?
18
Ghasiram
sa nagarI maoM iksa ivaiQa rhnaa   ek kuvaa
paMcaao piNaharI naIr BarOM saba nyaarI
nyaarI. pur gayaa kuvaa saUK gayaa panaI ibalaK
rhI pMcaaoM piNaharI.   GaasaIrama sahja ka
maolaa D, gayaa haikma lauT gayaa Dora.

• is nagari men kis vidhi rahana
• ..
• ek kuva pancho panihari
• nir bharain sab nyari nyari
• bur gaya kuva, sukha gaya pani
• bilakh rahi panchon panihari
•  
• dhasiram sahaj ka mela
• ud gaya hakim, lut gaya dera.

How can I live in this city? One well and five
women, each fetched water separately. The well is
blocked and the water has dried up, The five
women are crying. Say Ghasiram, it has been a
nice gethering, but the governer has fled, and
camp has been plundered.
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Jugalkishor Mukhtar

• koi bura kahe ya achchha,
• lakshmi ave ya jave
• anek varshhon tak jiun,
• ya mrityu aj hi a jave ..
• athava koi kaisa bhi bhay,
• ya lalach dene ave
• to bhi nyay marg se mera,
• kabhi na pag digane pave.

kaoš baura kho yaa AcCa laxmaI Aavao yaa
jaavao Anaok vaYaao-M tk jaIÐ yaa maRyau Aaja
hI Aa jaavao .. Aqavaa kaoš kOsaa BaI Baya yaa
laalaca donao Aavao tao BaI nyaaya maaga- sao
maora kBaI na pga iDganao pavao..
Let someone call me good or bad, let riches come
or turn away, Whether I live for million years,
or I face death this very day. Whether someone
does frighten me, or even tempt me in some way
May my steps never falter from proven good and
righteous way.
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Ravindra Jain Composer/Poet

• Born blind in 1944 Aligarh, UP
• Father Pt. Indramani Jain Vaidya Shashtri
• His brother read books for him
• Sangit Prabhakar, Prayag
• Inspired by Daulatram, Bhudhar Das, Dyanatrai
  Budhjan
• First film Kaanch Aur Heera in late 1972.
• Wrote and composed
• ankhiyon ke jharokhon se, maine dekhaa jo
  saanvare (ankhiyon ke jharokhon se)
• geet gaataa chal o saathii gunagunaataa chal
  (geet gaataa chal)
• saa.Nchii kahe.n torI aavan se hamare..(Nadia ke
  par)

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ham yahi kamana karate hain
ham yahi kamana karate hain aisa ane vala kal
ho hon nagar nagar men bahubali sari dharati
dharmasthal ho.
hma yahI kamanaa krto hOM eosaa Aanao vaalaa kla
hao haoM nagar nagar maoM baahubalaI saarI QartI
Qama-sqala hao.
This we wish that tomorrow There will be Bahubali
in every town, And the whole world will be the
land of dharma.
22
ham yahi kamana karate hain
ham nahin digambar shvetambar terahpanthi
sthanakvasi, ham ek panth ke anuyayi ek dev ke
vishvasi, ham jaini apana dharm jain itana hi
parichay keval ho.
hma nahIM idgambar Svaotambar torhpMqaI
sqaanakvaasaI., hma ek pnqa ko AnauyaayaI ek
dova ko ivaSvaasaI. hma jaOnaI Apnaa Qama-
jaOna tnaa hI pircaya kovala hao.
Neither Digambar or Shwetambar Or Terapanthi or
Sthanakvasi, We follow one path, and believe in
one Lord, Were Jain, and our dharma is
Jainism That is enough to introduce ourselves.
23
baahubali bhagavan ka mastakabhishek
parvat par nar nar chale, kalashonmen nir
bhare hod lagi abhishhek prabhuka pahale kaun
kare nir kshiraki bahati dhara, phir bhi na
bhiga tan sara aisi anya vishal murtika kahin
nahin ullekh. dhanya dhanya ve log yahan jo aj
rahe sir tek mastakabhishek, bahubali bhagavanaka

Men women climb the hill with water in
kalashas Vie to be the first to anoint the
Lord Stream of water milk could not wet the
whole body There is not other murti of such
dimensions Blessed are those who bow before the
lord today. Anointing of Lord Bahubali ..
pva-t pr nar naar calao klaSaaoMmaoM naIr
Baro haoD, lagaI AiBaYaok pBauka phlao kÝna
kro naIr xaIrkI bahtI Qaara ifr BaI na BaIgaa
tna saara eosaI Anya ivaSaala maUit-ka khIM nahIM
llaoK. Qanya Qanya vao laaoga yahaÐ jaao Aaja
rho isar Tok mastkaiBaYaok baahubalaI
Bagavaanaka mastkaiBaYaok
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Pankaj
tumase lagi lagan, lelo apani sharan, paras
pyara. meto meto ji sankat hamara.. nish din
tumako japun, par se neha tajun. jivan saraa,
tere charanon men bite hamara.. meto meto ..
tumasao laagaI lagana laolaao ApnaI SarNa parsa
Pyaara. maoTao maoTao jaI saMkT hmaara.. inaSa
idna tumakao japUM pr sao naoha tjaUM. jaIvana
saara toro carNaaoM maoM baIto hmaara. maoTao
maoTao .
Im now attached to you seek your shelter,
dear Lord Paras Relive my distress Day night I
think about you and no one else May I spend my
life at your feet..
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Dyanat Rai 1676-1726 Agra
h ivaiQa maMgala Aarit kIjaO pMca prma pd Baja
sauK laIjaO phlaI Aarit EaI ijanarajaa BavadiQa
par tar ijahajaa saatima Aarit EaI
ijanavaaNaI Vanat saurga maukit sauK danaI

• ih vidhi mangal aarati kijai
• panch param pad bhaj sukh lijai
•  
• pahali aarati shri jinaraja
• bhavadadhi par utar jihaja
•  
• saatami arati shri jinavaani
• dyanat surag mukati sukh dani

Thus do mangal arti, celebrate the worship of the
five great ones The first arti is for lord Jina,
like a ship to cross the ocean of
rebirths. Seventh arati for Jina-vani, giver of
bliss of heaven and freedom.