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the Vikrama Era, i.e. 12th cent. AD, and that he was definitely a contemporary of Municandrasuri, Vadidevasūri and probably of Kalikala-sarvajna Hemacandrasüri too,
(3) CANDRAPRABHĀCĀRYA :
Jinabhadrasuri has given comparatively more details about his preceptor Candraprabhācārya, who is credited by him to have attained the perfection of a Full Moon and expelled the darkness of the night in the form of the evils that had crept in his gaccha in order to enhance it for ever". 18 He is further said to have followed the course of austerities and remained away from human passions and Jaina house-holders to such an extent that his practices were adjuged to be as pure as the celebrated Sitā.49 Moreover, he composed three, presumably Sanskrit, works entitled the Sabdambhoja-bhāskara, the Kāraka-mjmāṁsā, and the Nabheyacarita,50 The first of these works seems to have been based on Hema. candra's famous Sabdānuśāsana. Not only that, the names of the four disciples, viz., Padmaprabha, Hemaprabha, Nemicandra and Jinabhadra, have also been mentioned by our author, adding that the third one succeed. ed to the preceptorial throne of Candraprabhasūri.
When we look to the history of Jaina monachism for the purpose of locating our Candraprabhasūri, we find at least nine recorded acāryas bearing this name, as can be seen from the following list :
(i) Candraprabhasüri of Candra-gaccha with his line of disciples running as Dhaneśvara - śāntisūri - Devabhadra-Devānanda-Kanakaprabha-Pradyumnasūri ;51
(ii) Candraprabhasüri of Nāgendra-gaccha, the preceptor of Merutungacarya, the author of the Prabandbacintamani.52
(iii) Candraprabhasūri of Rāja-gaccha with his line of disciples running as Abhayadeva of (the Candra-gaccha)-Dhanesvara (of Raja-gaccha)-Ajitasimha-Vardhamāna-Candraprabha-Bhadreśvara-Haribhadra-Jinacandra; 58
(iv) Candraprabhasūri of Vadagaccha with the line of disciples running as Sarvadeva-Jayasimba-Candraprabha-Dharmaghoșa-Silaguņa-Manatunga;54
48. MRA., Intro. vs. 48.
ध्वस्तदोषान्धकारोऽभूतु तस्य गच्छोदये सदा । श्रीमच्चन्द्रप्रभाचार्यों बिभ्राणः पूर्णचन्द्रताम् ॥ 49. Ibid., vs. 49. 60. Ibid, vs, 50. 51. JSSI (D). p. 413. 52. Ibid., p. 429. 53. Ibid., p. 278. 54. Ibid., p. 340.
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