Prabhāvakacarita (Life of the Prominent) is a Jaina text devoted to history, composed by Prabhācandra, an acarya of the Śvetāmbara tradition of Jainism in 1277–78.Prabhāvakacarita of Prabhācandrācārya. Ed. Jina Vijaya Muni. Singhi Jaina Series, vol. 13. Ahmedabad, Calcutta: Sañcālaka Siṅghi Jaina Granthamālā, 1940. While Prabhāvakacarita is dedicated to the lives of Jain monks of the Śvetāmbara tradition, it is often quoted in the context of classical and medieval history, often dealing with the time of Acharya Hemachandra.Pollock, Sheldon (2006). Language of the Gods in the World of Men. University of California Press. p. 182. 587Kalhana's Rājatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of Kaśmīr, Volume 2, Sir Aurel Stein, The Shrine of Sarada, Note B, p. 279-289, Archibald Constable, 1900 As a historic text, this work serves as a major source of the information on the society in that era. Prabhāvakacarita includes a mention of use a parachute in ancient India.Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering Volume 4 of Physics & Physical Technology PT. 2 Science and Civilisation in China, Joseph Needham, p. 594
Prabhācandra was inspired from the Pariśiṣṭaparva, an appendix to Triśaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita by Hemacandrasūri to compose a work that encompasses the lives of Jaina monks prominently and the kings, statesmen, associated or belonging from 1st century C. E. to 12th century C. E. This work has been corrected by Pradyumnasūri, disciple of Kanakaprabhasūri. Prabhachandra gives accounts of acāryas from the first century of the Vikrama era to 13th century, concluding with the account of Hemachandra. It gives an account of 22 ācārya, including Vajrasvāmī, Kālaka, Haribhadra, Bapabhatti, Mānatuṅga, Mahendrasūri (which includes an account of poet DhanapālaDhanapāla and His Times: A Socio-cultural Study Based Upon His Works, Ganga Prasad Yadava, Concept Publishing Company, 1982, p. 26) and Hemachandra. It concludes by including a praśasti of the author himself.
Contents & Structure This work is divided into 22 prabandhas divided on basis of lives of each personality. It contains 5704 verses prominently in Anuṣṭubh metre.
Ārya Vajrasvāmī (also contains account of Ārya Khapuṭācārya) Ārya Rakṣitasūri Ārya Nandila Kālakasūri Pādaliptasūri (also contains accounts of Rudradevasūri, Śramaṇasiṃhasūri, Ārya Khapaṭa, Mahendra Upādhyāya and Nāgārjuna Siddha) Vijayasiṃhasūri Jīvadevasūri Ācārya Vṛddhavādī (also contains accounts of Siddhasena Divākara and king Vikramāditya) Ācārya Mallavādī Haribhadrasūri Bappabhaṭṭisūri (contains accounts of king Yaśovarman, Āma and poet Vākpatirāja) Mānatuṅgasūri (also contains accounts of Saṃskṛta poets Bāṇabhaṭṭa and Mayūra) Mānadevasūri Mahākavi Siddharṣi Vīragaṇī ‘Vādivetāla’ Śāntisūri (also contains accounts of Bhoja) Mahendrasūri (also contains accounts of Dhanapāla, Śobhana and poet Kaula) Sūrācārya (also contains accounts of Jineśvarasūri and Buddhisāgarasūri) Abhayadevasūri Vīrācārya Vādī Devasūri Hemacandrasūri (also contains accounts of Siddharāja Jayasiṃha, Kumārapāla)
Editions
Prabhāvakcaritra by Candraprabhasūri, Ed. by Hīrānanda M. Sharma, Published by Nirnay Sagar Press – 1909 Prabhāvakacarita by Prabhācandrasūri, Ed. by Jinavijaya, Published in Singhi Jain Series no. 13 – 1940
Translations
Gujarati Translation published by Atmamand Sabha, Bhavnagar – 1930 (based on Nirnay Sagar edition) Hindi Translation by Dr. Shreeranjan Suridev, Published by Research Institute of Prakrit, Jainology and Ahimsa – 2013 (based on Singhi Jain Series edition)
Bibliography Prabhācandra. Prabhāvakacarita, ed. Jinavijaya, Ahmedabad/Calcutta, 1940.
References