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XXXII: MAHAPRATYĀKHYĀNA-PRAKĪRṆAKA
curni, Devavācaka has been said to be the disciple of Dusyagani. Some scholars have confused between Devavacaka, the author of Nandīsūtra, and Devarddhigaṇī Ksamāśramaṇa, who presided over the Valabhi conclave that met to collect and compile the canonical works. Muni Śrī Kalyāṇavijayajī has also fallen prey to this confusion. However, on the basis of available evidence, Devarddhiganī is the disciple of Arya Sandilya while Devavacaka that of Dusyagani. Therefore, it is clear that Devavācaka and Devarddhigaṇī cannot be the same person. Devavacaka has clearly mentioned the name of his guru, Dusyagaṇī, in the Nandīsūtra sthavirāvalī (roll of heads of monastic orders).
Pt. Dalsukhabhai Malavaniya has accepted the period of Devavācaka as 1020 Vr.E." or 550 VE2. However, this period is the outer limit. Devavācaka must have been earlier than that. Nandīsūtra and Anuyogadvārasūtra have been mentioned in the Āvaśyaka-Niryukti and if Avaśyaka-Niryukti were taken as having been composed by Bhadrabahu II, its period of composition comes out to be early 5th century VE. It is clear from all this evidence that Devavācaka and his composition, Nandisūtra, are of a period earlier than the early 5th century AD. For more information on this issue, we would like to refer the readers to the discussion about Devavācaka in the preface to Nandīsūtra by Muni Śrī Punyavijayaji and Pt. Dalsukhbhai Malavaniya. Because Mahapratyākhyāna Prakīrṇaka has been mentioned in the Nandi-sütra, it can be said on the basis of this evidence that this Prakīrṇaka had been composed some time before the 5th century AD. However, what could be the earliest limit of its
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Vira-nirvana Era. 28 Vikrami Era.
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