पृष्ठ:पउमचरिउ.djvu/५६

INTRODUCTION 25 sents a welcome contrast to narrow sectarianism that is other- wise characteristic of religious writers. From another direction too we can demonstrate this attitude of Svayambhū to regard as one the Supreme Deity conceived in different religious systems, it being attributable to the broad outlook characteristic of the Yāpaniya belief. As is shown in Section 5 below, Svayambhū, while composing the Paümacariu had closely followed Ravişena's Padmacarita. It is quite natural and obvious that for various reasons he had to make numerous alterations- additions, omissions, expansions and abridgements. In this connection it is very significant that all the purposely and bitterly anti-Brahmanical passages that are found in Ravişena's work (and ultimately, most of them, in some form or other, in Vimalasūri's Paümacariya) are either complete- ly omitted by Svayambhū or skipped over with a passing reſer- ence. The first of such conspicuous omissions is the disparaging topic of the origin of the Brahman caste (Ravişena, IV 85-131: 'dvijātināiin samudbhavaḥ'; Vimalasūri, IV 64-87, 'miranihiyaro'). Svayambhū is quite silent about it. Secondly in the Upakhyāna (side-episode) of Harişeņa the dispute relating to the processions of the Brahma-ratha and the Jina-ratha, calculated to convey the superiority of Jainism over Brahmanism (Ravişeņa, VIII 286-293: 397-398; Vimalasūri, VIII 147-151; 207-208) is vaguely referred to in PC. by just a single line mahā-raha-kärane, jāņevi jaņaņi-dukkhu (PC. 11 2 2). The third such omission is the topic of the destruc- tion of Marutia's sacrifice and origin of sacrifice (Marutta-yajña- dhvamsana) which occupies the whole of Canto XI in Ravişena and Vimalasūri. This is summarily and colourlessly dismissed by Sva- yambhū in barely eight words: jāgu panāsevi, riu tęsevi 15 8 9 b and Ņārau dhirevi, Muru vasi-karcvi 15 9 1 a. It is true that Svayambhu's main interest lies in directiy re- lating the narrative and hence he is generally inclined to omit. drastically alıridge or make just a passing reference to all those topics and side episodes which have little direct bearing on the principal narrative or which have an utterly didactic, descriptive or digressive aim. Yet any one who considers the respective atti. tudes of Ravişeņa und Svayambhū in this matter as reflected in the Padmacarita and the Paünacariu would not fail w see the glaring contrast presented by the staunchly denouncing, refuting and dogmatic spirit of some of the passages of the former work and regular eschewing of all such references in the latter, and conse- quently ailach to it particular significance, as is done here. 4. SVAYAMBHU'S LITERARY ACTIVITY Several works-some of them preserved, others known ir: name only have been ascribed to Svayambhú. The Extant Works At present only three works of Svayambhū are extant in the Ms. or printed form: Two Purāņas, viz., Paümacariu or Rimiyaņa. purana and Rițţhanemicariu or Harivarśapurāņa and a manual of Prakrit and Apabhramśa metres called Svayambhūcchandas. (1) For previous accounts of Svayambhu's literary activity see the sources men- tioned in n. 1; p. 9.