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JAIN MANTRAVADA AND CAITYAVASIS : SURIMANTRA
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writing Chapter VIII of his Yogasástra dealing with Padastha Dhyāna i.e. Mantra-Yoga.
TIRTHĀNUJNĀ AND VĀSAKŞEPA We may draw our reader's attention to the ceremony with which Sri Mahāvīra granted permission to his chief pupils called Gañadharas in respect of the Tirtha, Dharma and Gaņa. He is described as taking up a handful of scented powder from a tray held by Indra and dropping same first on the head of the first pupil Sri Gautama and then on the heads of others saying to each "Permission is granted to thee in respect of the Tirtha in all its various aspects." (See Trişaști Salākā Puruşa Caritra, Parva X, Sarga 5, VV. 176-180). This ceremony is called 'Tirthānujnā' and the dropping of scented powder is 'Vasakṣepa'. It was thereafter repeated on similar occasions accompanied by recitation of Sūrimantra composed by Sri Gautama at the instance of Sri Mahavira for such use in future. This is how Sūrimantra or Ganividyā originated. *
SŪRIMANTRA Amongst the Jains the Sūrimantra alias Ganivijjā is traditionally believed to have been handed down from preceptor to pupil from
* Sri Munisundarasūri in his unpublished Stotra on Sūrimantra addressed the Sūrimantra as TirthakȚt, Tirtba, Gautama and Sudharman and states that it originated through Gautama the leader of the gaccha under the direction of Sri Vardhamana :
"त्वं तीर्थकृत् त्वं परमं च तीर्थ त्वं गौतमस्त्वं गणभृत्सुधर्मा । त्वं विश्वनेता त्वमसीहितानां विधिः सुखानामिह मंत्रराज ॥२॥ श्री वर्धमानस्य निदेशतस्त्वं प्रतिष्ठितो गौतमगच्छनेत्रा।
सिद्धी: समग्रा : शिवसंपदश्च सोंग्रपुण्यफलानि दत्से ॥७॥ Sri Jipaprabhagūri who flourished earlier also calls Sūrimantra to be the first cause of the emanation or advent of the Tirtha in his Siddhāntāgamastava (Kavyamālā Pt. VIII P. 94)
सर्वश्रुताभ्यन्तरगां कृतनस्तिरस्कृति पञ्चनमस्कृति । तीर्थप्रवृत्तः प्रथम निमित्तमाचार्यमन्त्रं च नमस्करोमि ॥४५॥
