BHAVAVALI
Bhavavali
(ಭವಾವಳಿ)
is an important concept in Jaina theology and it is
used as a creative device to achieve various goals in Kannada literary works composed
by Jaina poets. The description of the previous births
of Thirthankaras in
achronological order is called
Bhavavali. In Jaina Philosophy it is believed
that the Jeevatma, while attaining
Jnana, ascends from lower birth to higher birth and finally attains Jnana-siddhi, which leads to the birth of a
Thirthankara. Against the characteristics of Sarga
and Prathi Sarga, at the
beginning of Maha Puranas
Bhavavali adorns the first part of
Jaina Puranas. Hence, Bhavavali
is the prologue of the main story of a Thirthankara,
the hero of Jaina Purana.
The word Bava means birth and the other Sanskrit word
AvaLi means group. Bhavavali
is a series of incarnations undergone by Jaina Theerthankaras in order to achieve final salvation. This
is essentially a journey of a specific soul to liberate itself by undergoing many
ordeals. The terms Doora Bhavya
and Aasanna Bhavya denote the souls that are far away from salvation and nearing
salvation respectively. The traditional texts of Jainism such as Maha
Purana and Purva
Purana give a detailed description of the previous lives of all the
Teerthanakaras. This is a process of purification which
consists of getting rid of sins and earning positives by repentance. These details
also are pre ordained and follow a particular course.
Pampa
the first major poet of Kannada who composed Adipurana
an epic depicting the life of Vrushabhanatha the first
Teerthankara started a tradition followed by his successors
such as Ponna, Ranna, Nagachandra, Janna and others. He used the magic Wand
of poetry to convert every single birth of Vrushabhanatha
into short but powerfully lyrical passages. Incarnations such as those of
Lalithanga-Svayamprabha and Shrimathi-Vajrajangha
are used to accentuate the oneness of soul mates and the yearning of human beings
for transient pleasures. Bhavavalis of the protagonist
are depicted in Shanthipurana of
Ponna, Ajithanathapurana Thilaka
of Ranna, Mallinatha Purana of Nagachandra and
Ananthanatha Purana of
Janna. Some times they are prolonged as in Ponnas work.
Janna puts a similar concept to a different use in
his celebrated work Yashodhara Charite.
Actually it is not fair to call the incarnations of Yashodhara
and his mother Chandramathi as various animals as a
retributions for the sin of Sankalpa
Himse (Violence in intention though not in deed) because
Yashodhara is a not a Theerthankara.
But the situation here is much more heartrending because this pair of mother and
son retains the consciousness of their original birth during the reincarnations
and consequently their agony is multiplied.
One can find parallels to the concept of
Bhavavali in the Doctrine of Karma propounded by the Hindu religion. Veerashaiva poets such as Harihara
and Chamarasa do speak of the previous births of their
protagonists while tracing their origin to Kailasa the
abode of Lord Shiva.
Actually this could be a symbolic representation of
the travails and transformations undergone by human beings in a single life.
However, Bhavavali in
the context of Kannada Culture has an exclusively Jaina
flavour and it has given birth to some exquisitely beautiful
incidents in ancient Kannada literature.