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COMPRBHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
rule of this king. Formerly, scholars were of the opinion that this text was written during the rule of Mūlarāja I. Hiralal,189 who first brought this work to the notice of the scholarly world, erroneously ascribed it to the reign Mūlarāja I, forgeti ing that Śrīkirti, one of the earlier spiritual predecessors of the author Śricandra, is described in the prasasti, as being honoured by Bhoja and Gāngeya, both flourishing after Mülarāja I. Therefore, Mülarāja in whose reign, the Kathākośa of Śr]candra was written, is none other than Mūlarāja II, who ruled from 1175 to 1177 A.D. We will afterwards see that Śrīkirti and monks of his line are mentioned in a Jain inscription of the time of Bhima II,
During the long reign of nearly sixty years, of the next king viz. Bhima II (1178-1241 A.D.), the Jain religion, once more, received a fresh impetus. We not only have a number of dated Jain inscriptions of his reign, but also a good number of Jain works, which were either written or copied during his rule. Let us first take note of the dated Jain manuscripts, which mention him by name. A manuscript of the Paryuşaņākalpa190, was written in the Vikrama Samvat 247 at Bhțgukaccha during the reign of “Samasta. rājāvalīyirājita mahārājādhiraja Umāpativaralabdhaprasada jangamajanārdana Pratāpacaturbhuja Śrimad' Bhimadeva. Next we have a dated manuscript of the Yozaśastravrtti191, copied at Darbhavati, in V, S. 1251, during the reign of Mahārāja Śri Bhimadeva'. The third manuscript of his reign, which mentions him, is a copy of the Șadašītiprakaranavrtti 198, which was written at the capital Anahilapāțaka during the *reign of samastarājāvaliviräjita mahārājādhiraja Sri Bhimadeya' in the year V.S. 1258. Three years afterwards (V. S. 1261), was copied a manuscript of the Jayantivetti198 at Anabilapāțaka during the reign of Maharājādhirāja Bhimadeva. A manuscript of the Upadeśakandalivstti, written by Bālacandra, was copied in V. S. 129, during the reign of samastarājā. valīpūrvan maharājādhiraja Šri Bhimadera194. In the same year (i.e. V.S, 1296), was copied a manuscript of the