Comparative Study of Mantrashastra

SR No.: 006575
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab
Publication Year: 1944
Total Pages: 376
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, L000, & L020
File Size: 21 MB

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INTRODUCTION
The most noteworthy feature of his life is his intimate friendship with king Ama and that is the reason why he was called Rājapūjita. He was also friendly with a king named Dharma of Gaudadesa whose capital was Lakşaņāvati. He was a contemporary of the famous poet Vākpatirāja. Sri Bappabhatti got temples constructed at Kanoj and Gwālior by king Ama. He defeated the Digambaras in a peculiar kind of debate which necessitated possession of great magical powers on the question of the right of precedence in worship at and the ownership of the Girinār Tirtha. It also appears that Sri Bappabhatti and his co-pupils used to reside in Jain temples. Bappabhatti and his pupils are said to have resided in a temple named Amavihāra. He composed 52 literary Prabandhas one of them being Tārāgana reference to which is made by the Jain poet Dhanapāla in his work Tilakamanjari.
ŚRI SIDDHARŞI ŚRI VIRAGANI AND ŚRI SĀNTISORI
We have already mentioned that although Caityavāsis were in power they had not completely rooted out those who were still following strictly the rules of conduct laid down for Sadhus. Sri Siddharsi is an instance. He wrote his famous Upamitibhavaprapañcakatha in s. y. 962. He used to give religious discourses sitting in the Agramaņdapa of Jain temples. Although it was the practice in former times to give religious lectures in the Agramaņdapa of Jain temples and although there was nothing objectionable in it from the scriptural point of view, it being wrongly taken to be one of the activities of Caityavāsi Sādhus was stopped by the reformists. Similarly there were such Sådhus as Sri Vīragaņi who were ideals of renunciation and asceticism. He was a Mantrika all the same and learnt Angavidyā* together with Gaņividyā from Vimalagani through his book kept in the niche in the dome of a temple. According to Sri Kalyāņavijaya he must have flourished in the 11th century of Vikrama era and not in the 10th as stated in Sri Prabhāvak ıcaritra.
* According to Himvat Sthaviravali Balissaha a pupil of Arya Mahāgiri extracted Angavidyā from the 10th Purva. See p.174 Vira Nirvana Samvat and Jain Kala Gañana.