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AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Śrī Vinayavijaya was born in a vaņik (Śrāvaka) family, in Gujarat, his father's name being Tejapāla, and his mother's Rājaśrī. When and at what place he was born and when he was initiated into the Jaina Monks' order (took dīkşā) remain in oblivion. Notwithstanding this, from the traditions and a crop of legends that have surrounded his name, the date of his birth may be assigned to S.Y. [i.e., Samvat Year] 1670. This would make him a co-student and a co-worker of Śrī Yaśovijaya, who received a command for reforming the Jaina Church from Vijayasimha Sūri.? Vijayasimha Sūri who is referred to in the concluding verse of this book died in S.Y. 1709, when our author must have been more then 30 years old.
From his works it is certain that Vinayavijaya's preceptor's name was Kīrtivijaya Upādhyāya, who was a disciple of Hīravijaya Sūri, while Yaśovijaya was the pupil of Nayavijaya whose guru, Lābhavijaya, was a disciple of Kīrtivijaya’s co-pupil Kalyāṇavijaya, as will appear from the following list of succession of Ācāryas:
1. Vide a concluding verse of all the chapters of his great work 'Lokaprakāśa,' viz.
विश्वाश्चर्यदकीर्तिविजयश्रीवाचकेन्द्रान्तिषद् राजश्रीतनयोऽतनिष्ट विनयः श्रीतेजपालात्मजः । काव्यं यत्किल तत्र निश्चितजगत्तत्त्वप्रदीपोपमे
संपूर्णः खलु सप्तविंशतितमः सर्गो निसर्गोज्ज्वल: ।। 2. Vijayasimha Sūri was born in S.Y. 1644 at Merta, and initiated into the Monks' order in S.Y. 1654. He got the title of Upādhyāya in S.Y. 1673, became Ācārya in S.Y. 1682, and died on Āşādha Sukla 2nd S.Y. 1709, at Ahmedabad.
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