हरिवंशपुराण (Sanskrit)
आचार्य जिनसेन विरचित (शक संवत् ७०५)
The Harivansh Purana (783 CE), composed in Sanskrit by Acharya Jinasena in Burdwan in the 8th century, is a remarkable epic that vividly portrays the renunciatory life of the twenty-second Tirthankara, Neminatha, alongside the well-known biographies of Krishna, Balabhadra, Krishna’s son Pradyumna, and the Pandavas and Kauravas. Beyond its narrative richness, the work introduces the entire Harivansh dynasty and provides clear, detailed discussions on various aspects of Jain philosophy, tradition, and culture, while also preserving a wealth of material on Indian cultural and historical life. Far more than a simple collection of stories, it stands as a high-quality epic, composed in sixty-six cantos and various meters, encompassing approximately 8,900 verses that together offer both literary grandeur and cultural depth.
In the Harivansh Purana, it is mentioned that for learning mantras and tantra practices, one had to go from the city of Padmavati to Shriparvata. Several such references show that around the 7th century, Shriparvata had become a renowned center for mantra-tantra-based mystical attainments. Due to this fame, some Tibetan texts even claim that Lord Buddha turned the Wheel of Dharma at Dhanyakataka (a town near Shriparvata) itself, as noted by Rahul Sankrityayan in Puratatva-Nibandhavali. Based on archaeological findings, this Shriparvata has been identified with modern Nagarjunakonda in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, the hill now locally called Nahrallavadu. In light of such historical evidence, there remains no doubt that the author of the Harivansh Purana was well aware of Shriparvata’s fame and, by comparison, envisioned his Purana as a new “Shriparvata” of spiritual grandeur.
Just as in the Mahayana Buddhist Chaitya tradition and the Vajrayana sect, Shriparvata worship was believed to grant the fulfillment of aspirations, so too did Jinasena proclaim that “those who devoutly read this Harivansha will easily attain their cherished wishes, along with the benefits of dharma, artha, and moksha” (66.46). The author himself considered devotion to Jina alone as the remedy for planetary afflictions (66.41) and believed that worship of Simhavahini (Durga-Ambadevi) could dispel all obstacles (66.44).
