| Bhaktāmara Stotra | |
|---|---|
%2c_Folio_from_a_Bhaktamara_Stotra_(Hymn_of_the_Immortal_Devotee)_LACMA_AC1992.170.2_(1_of_6).jpg) Illustration of Rishabhanatha in a manuscript ofBhaktāmara Stotra | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Author | AcharyaManatunga |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Period | 7th century CE |
| Verses | 48 (originally 52) Verses as per the Digambara Sect and 44 Verses (Originally as per ancient scriptures) as per the Shwetambara Sect |
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TheBhaktāmara Stotra (Sanskrit:भक्तामरस्तोत्र,romanized: bhaktāmara-stotra,lit. 'Hymn of an immortal devotee') is aJain religious hymn (stotra) written inSanskrit. It was authored byManatunga (7th century CE).[1] TheDigambaras believe it has 48 verses whileŚvetāmbaras believe it consists of 44 verses.[2]
The hymn praisesRishabhanatha, the firstTirthankara ofJainism in this time cycle.
Bhaktāmara Stotra was composed by Manatunga in 6th century CE.[3]Shwetambar legends associate Manatunga with a ruler namedMihira Bhoja. However, Manatunga probably lived a few centuries before Bhoja. He is identified by some scholars as Kshapanaka, one of theNavaratnas in the court of legendaryVikramaditya. An unidentified Sanskrit poet Matanga, composer ofBrahaddeśī on music theory, may also have been the same person.
Bhaktāmara Stotra was composed sometime in theGupta or the post-Gupta period, making Manatunga approximately contemporary with other navaratnas likeKalidasa andVarahamihira. Several spots nearBhopal and Dhar are traditionally associated with Manatunga.[citation needed]
There are several legends presented by differentŚvetāmbara monks. The most popular is the one depicted inPrabandha Cintamani written byAcharya Merutungasuri in 1305 AD. According to the legend, two scholarsBana Pandit andMayura Pandit were members of king Bhoja's court. It is said that they made supra-human things possible by theirmantric powers. To illustrate the statement, two examples are provided. Mayura Pandit worshipped the Sun God with a hymn he composed known asSurya Sataka. He got cured of leprosy that he was suffering from as a result of his sister's curse. He was blessed by Sun God when he composed the 6th verse. Envying him, Bana Pandit got his hands and legs chopped off and took it as a challenge to make Goddess Chandi bless him in 6 letters. He then composedCandi Sataka and his limbs regrew before he even recited the 6th letter. The king was pleased by both of them. Thereafter, the courtiers told the king thatŚvetāmbara Jain Acharyas did not possess suchmantric powers and that they must be banished from the kingdom. At that time, Acharya Manatungsuri was preachingJainism in the region. He was called to the king's court and was challenged to prove the greatness ofTirthankaras or leave the kingdom otherwise. Acharya Manatungsuri replied "our Lord, free from love and hatred as He is, does not perform miracles. However, his attendant demigods do." Thereafter, Manatungsuri got himself fettered in 44 chains and stood behind ajinaalay (Jain Temple) facing its rear side. He then composed theBhaktamara Stotra and with every verse he composed, one fetter got cut off. By the time he completed all 44 verses, the temple turned around to face Acharya Manatungsuri. He stood face to face with the temple, with all the fetters cut off. This extraordinary spectacle established themantric powersŚvetāmbara monks possessed. This account has been described in great detail inAcharya Merutungasuri'sPrabandh Cintamani.[4][5]
The hymn is recognised by bothDigambara andŚvetāmbara sects of Jainism. The Digambaras recite 48 verses, while the Śvetāmbaras recite 44 verses. The latter believe 4 verses (verse 32, 33, 34, and 35 as in the 48-verse version) were added later and were called the interpolated verses.[6] It is known that they do not dismiss reciting them. However, Śvetāmbaras believe thatManatungasuri composed only 44 verses and the rest of them were interpolated later. Therefore, Śvetāmbaras include them in the appendix.[2]
The oldest surviving palm leaf manuscript (dated 1332 AD) that illustrates this stotra is found at thePatan Library.[2] It only consists of 44 verses as believed by theŚvetāmbara Murtipujaks. Some scholars believe that it originally had 44 verses based on the fact that theŚvetāmbara sect always had more saints and scholars than theirDigambara counterparts and that there is a greater probability of them having preserved the correct version.
Bhaktāmara Stotra has 44 stanzas (Śvetāmbara belief) or 48 stanzas (Digambara belief). Every stanza has four parts. Every part has 14 letters. The complete panegyric is formed by 2464 (Śvetāmbara belief) or 2688 (Digambara belief) letters.
TheBhaktāmara Stotra is composed in the metervasantatilaka. All the fourteen syllables of this meter are equally divided between short and long syllables i.e. seven laghu and seven gurus and this belongs to sakvari group of meters.[7]
Bhaktāmara Stotra is recited as astotra (prayer) or sung as ahymn, somewhat interchangeably.
Bhaktāmara Stotra has influenced other Jain prayers, such as theKalyānamandira Stotra, devoted tothe twenty-third tirthankara, and theSvayambhu Stotra, devoted to all the twenty-four Tirthankaras. Additional verses here praise the omniscience ofAdinatha.[8][9]
Bhaktāmara Stotra is widely illustrated in paintings.[10][11] A 1332 AD palm leaf manuscript of the stotra illustrating only the 44 verses (as believed byŚvetāmbaras) is well-preserved at the Patan library. It is considered to be the oldest surviving manuscript.[2]
At theSanghiji temple atSanganer, there is a panel illustrating each verse. There is a temple at Bharuch with a section dedicated to theBhaktāmara Stotra and its author Manatunga.[12]
Devotees believe that the verses ofBhaktāmara Stotra possess magical properties, and associate a mystical diagram (yantra) with each verse.
An English translation was published by Vijay K. Jain in 2023.[13]
FourteenPurvas (The Prior Knowledge –considered totally lost) | ||||||||||||||||
| Śvetāmbara Canonical Texts |
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| Digambara Texts |
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†Tattvartha Sutra is accepted by both Digambara and Śvetāmbara as their texts, although Śvetāmbaras do not include it under canonical texts. | ||||||||||||||||
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