Dr. A.N. Upadhye - His Life And Accomplishments: 3.2.1 As An Editor And Researcher Of Important Ancient Works

As an Editor and Researcher of important ancient works (1)

Another facet of Dr. Upadhye's contribution to Jainology is permanently reflected in his editing ancient valuable Jaina works and his researches on them. Behind the high standard of this work and the ability to do it perfectly lies his sincere and laborious efforts. Moreover we cannot forget that the research skill and editorial techniques were imbibed by him from his teachers. Dr. Upadhye himself has often remembered this with gratitude.

He learned the importance of Prakrit literature and language, mostly produced and developed by the Jaina teachers, from Dr. P.L. Vaidya. He knew the principle that the method of honestly deciding text-material of ancient Jaina manuscripts is the foundation of scientific editing, from Dr. V.S. Sunkthankar. He understood the value of the dictum, one thing at a time and that too to its completion, as applied to editorial and research work, from Dr. Belvalkar. Due acquaintance of the main features of ancient Jaina manuscripts and thorough knowledge of Jaina tradition, religion and philosophy are the basic capital required for perfect editorial and research skill - this he learned from Muni Shri Jina Vijayaji. He combined certain western research trends, learnt from Prof. Schubring, with existing Indian methodology and used it in his own way. We should note that all these elements are well reflected in his editorial and research work.

We have already taken a numerical survey of books and research papers, most of them being related to Jainology. They all can be broadly classified into four groups:

Among these the fourth group belongs to secular Prakrit literature and most of them have been critically edited and published for the first time. 11 important works have seen light for the first time, i.e. these have been brought out from darkness of the various manuscript libraries, edited systematically and kept before the world of scholars and general readers. Regarding this Dr. V.S. Agarval notes, "Dr. Upadhye rescued them from the long oblivion of ancient manuscript libraries."

The dimensions of subjects of all these books is surprising:

1. Jaina Religion and Philosophy:
1. Basic Principles constituting the Universe
2. Science of reasoning
3. Logic
4. Metaphysics
2. Jaina Code of Conduct
3. Jaina Cosmography
4. Jaina Mysticism
5. Jaina Poetry
6. Jain Narrative literature
7. Satire

From the point of view of language and dialects these works cover the following languages and dialects:

1. Prakrit
   1. Jaina SaurasenI
   2. Jaina Maharastri
   3. Ardhamagadhi
   4. Maharastri
   5. PaisacI
   6. Apabhramsa
2. Sannada
3. Sanskrit
4. Kannada

From the point of view of the contribution of Dr. Upadhye to the field of critical editions of ancient works the following ones are outstanding:

1. Pravacanasara
2. Paraatma Prakassa
3. Tiloyapannati
4. Brhatkathakosa
5. Lilavalkaha
6. Kuvalayamala
7. Dhurtakhyana

Let us know now the importance and special features of these works one by one.

1. Pravacanasara (100 B.C. to 200 A.D.)

Written by Acarya Kundakunda this is an important procanonical work. It is in Jaina Sauraseni Prakrit. Dr.Upadhye has settled its text-material quite justifiably. It represents mostly Jaina Philosophy and ideals of the monk's life. The author has explained all these in a remarkable manner. In his scholarly introduction of 125 pages, Dr.Upadhye has discussed in details Acarya Kundakunda's date, place (which was in those days in the Kannada speaking area), the historical background of Sauraseni Prakrit and shed on them fresh light. The new and the most important point he has presented here is the existence, in early days, of the Magadhan Religion and its possible form. It would be quite relevant to reproduce here an opinion about it appearing in the Asiatic Society Research Journal in 1936.

Dr. Upadhye's most interesting contribution here is perhaps his conclusions that the similarities of Jainism, Buddhism and Sankhya Philosophy point to the existence of a great indigenous religion, which flourished before the advent of the Aryans: to the mingling of the streams of the Aryan and indigenous religion at the close of the Brahmana period, we owe on one hand the Atmavidya of the Upanisads and the tenets of Jainism and Buddhisi§ on the other."

In short this introduction, in a way, is a concise history of Jainism as a whole. This critical edition itself earned the D.Litt. Degree for Dr. Upadhye. My close study of this book, particularly the study of the fact that Acharya Kundakunda was born and brought up on the then Kannada soil, led me to write a research paper entitled "Kndakundacarya: the Literary Doyen of Karnataka." This paper has been published in the Journal: Glory of India in 1977.

The copies of this book with 600 pages, published in 1935 in the Rayachand Jaina Books Series, Bombay, were hardly available for the last 30 years. Fortunately recently in 1990, the original work with Hindi translation has been published by the Kundakunda Bharati, Delhi, and its copies are being distributed free.

2. Paramatma Prakasa

This work composed in Apabhramsa by Yogindradeva between 500-600 A.D. is edited with a limited number of manuscripts, the text of which is decided laboriously, honestly and justifiably and presented with its thorough critical study by Dr. Upadhye. It is all like a miracle as some scholar has opined. In his long introduction of 124 pages, he has discussed in details the significance of the text, the contribution of the Jaina teachers to Apabhramsa language and literature etc. He has searched out a valuable gem of Jaina mysticism and presented it to scholars and general readers and, then, earned the appreciation of the Jaina society at large. Dr. S. K. Dey, Vice-Chancellor of Daka University in his letter addressed to Dr. Upadhye writes: "You have omitted no relevant points from your discussion and your edition of this difficult text is all that one can desire... I have nothing but great admiration for the patience, industry and learning displayed by this work."

3. Tiloya Pannatti

Composed by Acarya Yativrsabha in c. 300 A.D. on Jaina Cosmography, it was a very difficult work for editing critically. As this work served as a solid basis for several later works, Dr. Upadhye, together with Dr. Harilal Jain, has provided it with some special conveniences on the field of Jainology. He has shown, in his introduction, that unless one understands some basic elements of Jaina cosmography one's proper study of Jaina puranas, kathas, kavyas etc. is not possible. It is a proud product of Karnataka, as it is, most probably, composed by Acarya Yativrsabha in Karnataka itself. The editor tells that its manuscripts, preserved in the Kannada script, were of great use for his editorial work. The Vaddaradhane, the earliest available Jaina classic in prose, refers to this work with regard. Many manuscripts of this work, still available in the Jaina Manuscript Libraries in Mudabidire, Karkal etc. indicate that the study of the subject of cosmography was alive for several centuries in Karnataka.

4. Lllavalkaha of Kutuhala (800 A.D.)

5. Kuvalayamala of Upotanasurl (600 A.D.)

These two bulky works are the valuable property of the Jaina narrative literature. Moreover, Indian culture of the middle ages is very well reflected in them. Both of these works are edited critically and thoroughly by Dr. Upadhye and published for the first time. He himself has stated that for editing Lilavaikaha, it took almost a decade with laborious work. The various interesting subjects found in the Kuvalayamala have provided topics for Ph.D. candidates. The editorial skill and style displayed by these two works has earned for the editor special compliments from several scholars in India and abroad as seen in many research Journals. Brhatkathakosa. Composed in Sanskrit in 931-32 by Acarya Harisena, it is a very interesting and bulky work with 157 religious stories collected from and based on the procanonical and Prakrit work Bhagavati Aradhana (Mularadhana) of Sivakotyacarya belonging to C. 100 A. D.

Dr. Upadhye's learned introduction of 122 pages written to it, is almost a brief history of Indian narrative literature. He has presented in this introduction, important details of the mingling of the streams of the Vedic, Buddhist and Jaina narrative literature and brought out the peculiarities of the Jaina narrative literature. He has also discussed in it the way how the Jaina teachers have used Sanskrit in their own style and with their own wealth of vocabulary. Moreover this introduction includes an essay on the Kannada Vaddaradhane. When Prof. D.L. Narasimhachar edited and published the Vaddaradhane for the first time, this essay alone provided the required material to the Kannada scholars for its study. This essay itself inspired me to take up the Vaddaradhane as my Ph.D. topic. The opinions of some scholars on this work have been already mentioned earlier in this book.

6. Dhurtakhyana

This work composed in 800 A.D. by Haribhadrasuri widely known as Yugapravartaka, is in Prakrit and is critically edited for the first time by Dr. Upadhye. It has its own importance in the whole of Indian literature because it represents Indian satirical literature for the first time.

In this work Haribhadrasuri has indirectly criticised impossible, improbable and strange concepts and incidents found in the Hindu Puranas and Kavyas through satirical stories told by four Dhurtas (rouges). Though small in size, it is great in quality and speciality. It indirectly reflects the author's truth-finding keen eye and his contempt for meaningless hollow traditions, blind beliefs and loose thinking. The critical study and skillful editing of this work have added another feather to traditions, blind beliefs and loose thinking. The critical study and skillful editing of this work have added another feather on the cap of scholarship of Dr. Upadhye.

Now it is proper just to record here that the general editorials written by Dr. Upadhye, to about 80 books, his reviews of about 70 books written by Indian and foreign scholars and his forewords written to about 14 books etc. are like the veritable light houses and could guide the respective authors and scholars studying them, and to go ahead.