Hemacandra and Chandanusasana by S Sengupta
By S. Sengupta
Summary
1. Hemacandra and Chandanusāsana (S. Sengupta) :- Metre taxonomy & description methods: Sanskrit verse is grouped as sama (all four pādas identical), ardha-sama (alternating pādas identical), viṣama (all four different), and mātrā (defined by syllabic time-values). Long = 2 mātrās; short = 1. Traditional handbooks (e.g., Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra, Śrutabodha) specify long/short patterns, whereas from Piṅgala onward—including Hemacandra’s Chandanusāsana—metres are encoded via eight trisyllabic units plus long/short monosyllabic units; this compresses definitions but ignores rhythmic “structure.” A modern study noted is Mukherjee (1965). Comparative scope (focus on samavṛttas): Sengupta compares Hemacandra with Gaṅgādāsa’s Chandamañjarī, Kedāra’s earlier Vṛtta-ratnākara, and Piṅgala. Classical literature commonly uses ~25 metres (rarely ~55 with display pieces by poets like Māgha/Bhāravi). A table (journal pp. 225–226) counts samavṛttas by akṣara-length: totals—Piṅgala 69, Kedāra 102, Gaṅgādāsa 122, Hemacandra 364. In Chandamañjarī, 122 metres are illustrated by the author, with 104 additional (from Kedāra/commentator) unillustrated. Nomenclature & sources: Hemacandra collates aliases (e.g., notes Bharata’s name Śrīdhara for what is now called mandākrāntā) and cites Bharata frequently; he illustrates every metre with his own verses. Structure of Chandanusāsana: Eight chapters, 746 sūtras total: I. Definitions/abbreviations—17; II. Jāti (sama metres)—401; III. Ardha-sama, viṣama, vaitālīya and other mātrā metres, mātrā-sama—73; IV. Gāthā/āryā (Prakrit)—91; V. Apabhraṃśa—42; VI. Apabhraṃśa (catuṣpadī, yaṭpadī)—32; VII. Apabhraṃśa (dvipadī)—73; VIII. Prastāra—17. Chs. IV–VIII treat ~340 Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa metres. The work contains 1006 verses (≈626 in Sanskrit), largely Hemacandra’s own. Overlap & additions vs. Chandamañjarī / Vṛtta-ratnākara: - In Chandamañjarī: 8 sama and 2 ardha-sama metres are absent from Hemacandra. - 24 sama, 1 viṣama, 1 ardha-sama occur under different names in Hemacandra; 4 of Kedāra’s sama metres also have different names here; a few sama metres are defined slightly differentlyOf the 104 unillustrated Chandamañjarī items, 31 sama metres appear new. - Net effect (for sama alone): Hemacandra records 169 additional metres beyond the 195 shared with Chandamañjarī—supporting the verdict that Chandanusāsana is effectively an encyclopaedia of Sanskrit/Prakrit metrical forms. Samples: The article prints several of Hemacandra’s metrical exempla (transliterated) to show range and craftsmanship. 2. Hemacandra’s Yogasāstra (journal p. 228) :- - Work & date. 12 prakāśas, 1014 verses; composed c. 1160 CE at King Kumarapāla’s request. - Doctrine & contents. Defines Yoga as the path to liberation via the Three Jewels—Right Attitude, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct. Prakāśas 1–3: Jain ethics; 4: identity of soul with the Three Jewels and a survey of Yoga (including āsanas drawing on Patañjali’s system); 5: prāṇāyāma and acquisition of occult powers; remaining sections: assorted topics related to Yoga. - Commentary. Prolix homiletic commentary on the first four prakāśas (with anecdotes); briefer on the rest; probably by a pupil, not Hemacandra.
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Conclusion
Hemacandra’s Chandanusāsana is shown to be an encyclopedic codification of Sanskrit–Prakrit prosody: eight chapters with 746 sūtras, every metre illustrated by Hemacandra himself; its scope—364 samavṛttas, ~340 Prakrit/Apabhraṃśa metres, and 1006 exempla (≈626 Sanskrit)—surpasses earlier handbooks and warrants the article’s “encyclopaedia” verdict. The note on Yogasāstra presents a systematic Jain yoga treatise of 12 prakāśas (1014 verses) that defines yoga through the Three Jewels and covers ethics, āsana, and prāṇāyāma/occult powers; the prolix commentary on the first four sections is probably by a pupil, and the text was composed c.1160 CE at King Kumārapāla’s request.