Essay name: Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala (study)
Author:
Shri N. M. Kansara
Affiliation: Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda / Department of Sanskrit Pali and Prakrit
This is an English study of the Tilakamanjari of Dhanapala, a Sanskrit poem written in the 11th century. Technically, the Tilaka-manjari is classified as a Gadyakavya (鈥減rose-romance鈥�). The author, Dhanapala was a court poet to the Paramara king Munja, who ruled the Kingdom of Malwa in ancient west-central India.
Chapter 10 - Geographical Data
3 (of 25)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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374
According to the Jain conception, the world consists
of innumerable spheres, continents and oceans each one
surrounding the preceding one like a sheath. 3 As Dhanap膩la
has fully adopted the Jainistic view, his geographical
background is partly mythological and hence fanciful, and
partly material and hence realistic.
CELESTIAL GEOGRAPHY
Dhanap膩la refers to Loka and Aloka 4 which are the
twine spheres encompassing the whole universe in its fold;
the souls bound down to the transmigratory condition can-
not go beyond Loka while only the emancipated souls sore
to Aloka and settle there. Within Loka are situated the
upper regions of the gods. Among these Dhanap膩la mentions
5 P膩t膩la-svarga, Purva and Apara Vi岣峞ha-vijayas and
and Lilavata峁僺a-vim膩na
7 Pu峁aravati-vijaya, (as the regions of the gods of 'Vim膩-
nav膩si' class. It is interesting to note that he refers
also to the semen 'Lokas'.
8 6
Of the Dvipas, Dhanap膩la specifically names only
three, viz. Jamb奴-dv墨峁嘺, 鈻♀枲 Nandisvara-dv墨pa and
9 Dh膩taki-kha峁囜笉a, though the others are indirectly suggested.
3. LAIJC,p.245.
4. TM(N), p.412(8).
5. ibid., p.154(9).
6. ibid.,p.412(5ff.).
7. ibid.,p.407016).
8. ibid., p.412(9).'
9. ibid.,pp.239(4); 407(13);
40(6); 409(4); 421(3);
409(13).
