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A commentary on the Saraswatiprakriya by Punjaraja, a prince of the Sâ rimal family and a minister of Gaisudin Khilji of Malwa ( 1469-1500 A. D. ). Jivana was his father and Maku his mother. Jivana himself was for some time the minister of Gaisudin and was succeeded by his younger brother Megha, who is said to have obtained the title Mafarmalik from the Sultan. Megha was succeeded by Punjaraja who in his turn entrusted the ministership to his younger brother Munja. According to Bhandarkar, Report, 1882-83, p.12, Punjaraja had also written two works on Alankarasâ astra, called Sâ isâ uprabodha and Dhwanipradipa. The Sâ rimala family is said to have come from Malabar, perhaps on account of the word â Malabhariâ occurring in the colophons. But at any rate, it appears to have settled in the upper India very early. There are numerous references to the illustrious persons from this family converted to Jainism, the earliest of them being in Samvat 1193 (or 1021 ?). At Peterson, Reports, V. p. 17, Munisuvratacarita is said to have been composed in Samvat 1193 (this acc. to J. G. M. p. 242; but the words in the original are rather doubtful; cf. विठॠठमठालाठठठवॠस सहसॠसॠसठसावणठ.... ठवॠठपरिसमतॠतमॠ. Does this not mean Samvat 1021?) by Sâ ricandra at the house of the s'resthi Nagilasuya of Asâ apalli, belonging to this family. According to Peterson, Reports, III. p. 77, one Devadhara of this family caused a manuscript of Hemacandra's Yogas'astra to be written in Samvat 1251. In Samvat 1289, one Ambada, belonging to this family caused a copy of Vardhamanaâ s Rsabhadevacarita (composed in Sam. 1160) to be written, See Peterson, Reports, V. pp. 81-86. Dharu and Lakhu, wives of Saharaj and Sahanath respectively, of this family caused several Jain works to be written and offered them to Udayavallabha and Jnanasagara, pupils of Ratnasinha, the head of the Vrddha Tapagaccha, for the attainment of religious merit in Samvat 1515. Cf. Peterson, Reports, V. p. 120. During the reign of Gaisudin Khilji, Sarvavijaya composed his Anandasundara at the request of one Javada of this family, who was an officer of the Sultan. See Peterson, Reports, V. p. 201. For other references, cf. Peterson, Reports, III. p. 4; 211; V. p. 4; 91; Dalal, Jesal. MSS., p. 51. All these of course, are references to Jain s'ravakas of this family. Our Punjaraja or his ancestors do not, however, appear to have been converted to Jainism, even though the latter are described as â Sadhusâ . They were perhaps the followers of the Vedanta system; cf. vv. 5, 10, and 15, below. Punjaraja Was liberal and brave; see vv. 17-20, For other MSS. of this commentary, see I. O., Nos. 801, 802; Peterson, Reports, V. p. 167. |