<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Five different hymns have been collected in this manuscript, for which a proper collective title would be <i>Jinastavanasaṃgraha</i> : 1) Jinavallabha's <i>Mahāvīrastavana</i> in Sanskrit, 30 stanzas, known as <i>bhāvārivāraṇivāraṇam</i> was composed in the 12th century by this famous author from the Kharataragaccha. His name is concealed in the last stanza <i>līlābhāṃji na vallabha praṇayinīvṛndāni</i>.This hymn is an instance of <i>bhāṣāśleśa</i> as it can be read both in Sanskrit and Prakrit (<i>samasaṃskṛta</i>). 2) Vijayasiṃha's <i>Nemijinastavana</i>, in Sanskrit, in 24 stanzas, is similarly signed by the author, with his name included in the last stanza: <i>duritavijayasiṃhaḥ so stu nemiḥ</i>. Several authors of this name are known, but this one could be a monk of the lineage of Āryakhapaṭa. The first words of this hymn are quoted in the 14th-c. <i>Prabhāvakacaritra</i>, verse 119 showing its celebrity (Caturvijaya Muni, Jainastotrasandoha, Part I, 1932, Introduction p. 9-10). 3) Each of the 25 stanzas of Jinaprabhasūri's <i>Mahāvīrastavana</i> illustrates the use of a different Sanskrit meter, the name of which is mentioned in the stanza: <i>upajāti</i> (3), <i>svāgatā</i> (4), <i>rathoddhatā</i> (5), <i>dhakadhāṃ</i> (? 6), <i>bhramaravilasita</i> (7), <i>śālinī</i> (8), <i>toṭaka</i> (9), <i>sragviṇī</i> (10), <i>bhujaṃgaprayāta</i> (11), <i>drutavilambita</i> (12), <i>pramitākṣarā</i> (13), <i>vaṃśastha</i> (14), <i>praharṣiṇī</i> (15), <i>siṃhoddhatā</i> (16), <i>mālinī</i> (17), <i>vāṇinī</i> (18), <i>śikhariṇī</i> (19), <i>hariṇī</i> (20), <i>mandākrāntā</i> (21), <i>prabhā</i> or <i>mahāmālikā</i> (22), <i>śārdūlavikrīḍita</i> (23), <i>suvadanā</i> (24), <i>sragdharā</i> (25). This author, who was active in the 14th century, is known for his sophisticated handling of languages, whether Prakrit or Sanskrit, which are displayed in particular in the numerous hymns he composed, making use of figurative poetry <i>citrakāvya</i> and other devices. He even wrote a hymn in Apabhramsha and Persian as a way to honour Sultan Muhammed Bin Tugluq (Balbir 2006 and Vose). 4) Abhayadevasūri's <i>Jayatihuyaṇastotra</i> in Prakrit, 27 stanzas, is the work of the famous Jaina commentator and is dedicated specifically to the image of the 23rd Jina Pārśvanātha located in Cambay, Gujarat (old name: Sthambhana). 5) The last text is the <i>Ṛṣimaṇḍalastava</i>, a Tantric-like hymn in Sanskrit, here in 56 stanzas. This is only the last text, hence the title of the whole manuscript as <i>Ṛṣimaṇḍala</i> given in Bendall (1886: 50) is not correct. This hymn starts with eight homage formulas and then goes on with the procedure of 'assignment' to the various body parts, the drawing of magic diagrams, and the benefits from all these procedures in order to remove all sorts of obstacles. It is a teaching which should remain hidden from undeserving people. The <i>ṛṣi</i>s are the 24 Jinas. Neither the date of copy nor the name of the scribe are given. But there are two later final remarks which show that the manuscript was used: 1) the name of a reader (understanding difficult) is mentioned, 2) a monk named Vimalavācaka, pupil of Vimalaharṣavācaka, put it into his manuscript collection. There are many small errors (omission of letters for instance) which have been corrected by whoever read it.</p></p>
