महाकवि पुष्पदंत और उनका काव्य

The article by **Dr. Yogenath Sharma ‘Arun’**, **“Mahākavi Puṣpadanta and His Poetry,”** examines the life, historical position, and literary achievements of **Mahākavi Puṣpadanta**, one of the most distinguished poets of Apabhramsha literature after **Svayambhūdeva**. The study situates him within the broader development of Indo-Aryan languages and the Apabhramsha literary tradition, emphasizing the importance of his monumental work **Mahāpurāṇa**. The article notes that reliable biographical information about Puṣpadanta is limited. Based on references in his works, he is described as a **Kāśyapa-gotra Brahmin** who initially followed the **Śaiva tradition** and later accepted **Jainism**. His father is named **Keśavabhaṭṭa** and his mother **Mugdhā Devī**. The authorship of a work titled **Śivamahimnastotra**, attributed to a Puṣpadanta, is discussed, though scholars differ on whether its author was the same person as the Mahāpurāṇa poet. The poet’s birthplace remains uncertain. Various scholarly opinions are reviewed, but the article concludes that available evidence is insufficient to determine his native region with certainty. Puṣpadanta is presented as a poet associated with the **Rāṣṭrakūṭa court**, particularly during the reign of **Kṛṣṇarāja III**, and as a literary protégé of the minister **Bharata**. His later works were composed under the patronage of Bharata’s son **Naṇṇa (Nanna)**. Internal evidence places him after earlier poets such as **Svayambhūdeva**, **Śrīharṣa**, **Bāṇa**, **Daṇḍin**, **Rudraṭa**, and others mentioned in his writings. The article portrays Puṣpadanta as a highly respected poet known by titles such as **Abhimāna-Meru**, **Kāvya-Ratnākara**, **Kavi-Kula-Tilaka**, and **Sarasvatī-Nilaya**. His verses reveal a strong sense of self-respect, independence, and aversion to dependence on worldly power. At the same time, he is presented as a devout Jain poet whose literary activity was motivated by religious devotion rather than material gain. Puṣpadanta’s most important work, **Mahāpurāṇa** (also called **Tisatthi-Mahāpurisa-Guṇālaṅkāra**), is described as one of the greatest achievements of Apabhramsha literature. Divided into **Ādipurāṇa** and **Uttarapurāṇa**, it narrates the lives of the **63 illustrious Jain figures (Śalākāpuruṣas)**, including the **24 Tīrthaṅkaras**, **12 Cakravartins**, **9 Vāsudevas**, **9 Baladevas**, and **9 Prativāsudevas**. The *Uttarapurāṇa* also incorporates the **Padmapurāṇa (Rāma narrative)** and **Harivaṃśapurāṇa (Kṛṣṇa narrative)**. The work comprises approximately **20,000 verses** and is regarded by the poet himself as a **mahākāvya**. The article evaluates Puṣpadanta’s literary artistry in detail. His poetry combines narrative breadth with philosophical reflection, devotional sentiment, moral instruction, and imaginative description. Although the narrative structure of the *Mahāpurāṇa* is not always tightly unified, the poet successfully animates the text through vivid characterization, nature imagery, emotional depth, and reflective passages on human life, impermanence, and spirituality. Special attention is given to his mastery of **mahākāvya conventions**, including invocations, self-effacing authorial statements, praise of the virtuous, criticism of the wicked, dialogue structures, cosmological descriptions, dream narratives, and religious exposition. His religious outlook is described as fundamentally Jain yet marked by **tolerance and inclusiveness**, reflected in respectful references to various deities. The article also highlights Puṣpadanta’s command of **rasa**, especially **śṛṅgāra**, as well as **bhakti**, **karuṇa**, **vīra**, **raudra**, and **vībhatsa**. His poetry is rich in **simile, metaphor, utprekṣā, yamak, śleṣa, virodhābhāsa**, and other rhetorical devices. Equally noteworthy are his descriptions of gardens, seasons, moonrise, and natural beauty, which reveal both poetic imagination and symbolic depth. The article briefly discusses Puṣpadanta’s other works, **Nāyakumāra-carita** and **Jasahara-cariu**, acknowledging their literary merit while maintaining that neither equals the maturity, scope, and artistic achievement of the *Mahāpurāṇa*. The author concludes that Puṣpadanta occupies a pre-eminent position in Apabhramsha literature. Alongside Svayambhūdeva, he stands among the tradition’s greatest poets, and his works deserve continued scholarly study for their literary, linguistic, philosophical, and cultural significance.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.