Hemachandra
Jain polymath (1088–1173)
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Born as Caṅgadeva, he was ordained in the Śvetāmbara school of Jainism in 1110 and took the name Somacandra. In 1125 he became an adviser to King Kumārapāla and wrote Arhannīti, a work on politics from Jaina perspective. He also produced Triśaṣṭi-śalākā-puruṣacarita (“Deeds of the 63 Illustrious Men”), a Sanskrit epic poem on the history of important figures of Jainism. Later when he was consecrated as ācārya, his name was changed to Hemacandra.
Early life
Hemacandra was born in Dhandhuka, in present-day Gujarat, on Kartika Sud Purnima (the full moon day of Kārtika month). His year of birth differs according to sources but 1088 is generally accepted. His father, Cāciga was a Moḍha Bania. His mother, Pāhini, was a Jaina. Hemacandra's birth name was Caṅgadeva. In his childhood, the Jaina monk Devacandra Sūri visited Dhandhuka and was impressed by the young Hemacandra's intellect. His mother and maternal uncle concurred with Devachandra, in opposition to his father, that Hemacandra be a disciple of his. Devachandra took Hemacandra to Khambhat, where Hemacandra was placed under the care of the local governor Udayana. Cāciga came to Udayana's place to take his son back, but was so overwhelmed by the kind treatment he received, that he decided to willingly leave his son with Devachandra.
Some years later, Hemacandra was initiated a Jaina monk on Magha Śukla Chaturthī (4th day of the bright half of Magha month) and was given a new name, Somacandra. Udayana helped Devacandra Suri in the ceremony. He was trained in religious discourse, philosophy, logic and grammar and became well versed in Jaina and non–Jaina scriptures. At the age of 21, he was ordained an acārya of the Śvētāmbara school of Jainism at Nagaur in present-day Rajasthan. At this time, he was named Hemacandra Suri.
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Hemacandra and Siddharaja
At the time, Gujarat was ruled by the Chaulukya dynasty from Aṇahilavāda (Patan). It is not certain when Hemacandra visited Patan for the first time. As Jain monks are mendicants for eight months and stay at one place during Chaturmas, the four monsoon months, he started living at Patan during these periods and produced the majority of his works there.
Probably around 1125, he was introduced to Jayasiṃha Siddharāja (fl. 1092–1141) and soon rose to prominence in the Caulukya royal court. According to the Prabhavakacarita of Prabhācandra, the earliest biography of Hemacandra, Jayasiṃha spotted Hemacandra while passing through the streets of his capital. The king was impressed with an impromptu verse uttered by the young monk.
In 1135, when Siddharāja conquered Malwa, he brought the manuscripts of Bhoja from Dharā aalong with other things. One day Siddhraja came across the manuscript of SarasvatiīKanṇṭaābharanṃ (also known as the Lakshana Prakash), a treatise on Sanskrit grammar. He was so impressed by it that he told the scholars in his court to produce a grammar that was as easy and lucid. Hemachandra requested Siddharaja to find the eight best grammatical treatises from Kashmir. He studied them and produced a new grammar work in the style of Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī. He named his work Siddha-Hema-Śabdanuśāśana after himself and the king. Siddharaja was so pleased with the work that he ordered it to be placed on the back of an elephant and paraded through the streets of AnṇaiīwdvāḍaPatan. Hemacandra also composed the Dvyasśaya Kāvya, an epic on the history of the Chaulukya dynasty, to illustrate his grammar.
Hemacandra and Kumārapāla
According to the Prabhācandra, there was an incident where Siddharāja wanted to kill his nephew Kumarāpala because it was prophesied that the kingdom would meet its demise at Kumarapāla's hands. Hemacandra hid Kumarapāla under a pile of manuscripts to save him. However, such motifs are common in Indian folk literature, so it is unlikely it was an actual historical event. Also, many sources differ on Siddharāja's motives.
Hemacandra became the advisor to Kumārapāla. During Kumarapala's reign, Gujarat became a center of culture. Using the Jaina approach of Anekantavada, Hemacandra is said to have displayed a broad-minded attitude, which pleased Kumārapāla. Kumārapāla was a Shaiva and ordered the rebuilding of Somnath at Prabhas Patan. Some Hindu saints who were jealous of Hemacandra's rising popularity with the Kumārapāla complained that Hemacandra was a very arrogant person, that he did not respect the vedic deities and that he refused to bow down to Hindu God Shiva. When called upon to visit the temple on the inauguration with Kumārapāla, Hemacandra readily bowed before the lingam but said:
"भवबीजाङ्कुरजनना रागाद्याः क्षयमुपगता यस्य। ब्रह्मा वा विष्णुर्वा हरो जिनो वा नमस्तस्मै॥
I bow down to him who has destroyed the passions like attachment and malice which are the cause of the cycle of birth and death; whether he is Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Jina.
Ultimately, the king became a devoted follower of Hemacandra and a champion of Jainism.
Starting in 1121, Hemacandra was involved in the construction of the Jain temple at Taranga. His influence on Kumārapāla resulted in Jainism becoming the official religion of Gujarat and animal slaughter was banned in the state. The tradition of animal sacrifice in the name of religion was completely uprooted in Gujarat. As a result, even almost 900 years after Hemacandra, Gujarat still continues to be a predominantly lacto-vegetarian state, despite having an extensive coastline.
Death
He announced about his death six months in advance and fasted in his last days, a Jaina practice called sallekhana. He died at Aṇahilavāḍa Patan. The year of death differs according to sources but 1173 is generally accepted.