History of Rastrakutas of Malkhed and Jainism

SR No.: 006719
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 374
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 134

Sanskrit Literature / 73
4.4.1. Adept Virasēna had the benifit of being the student of wise Elacarya. Indranandi (930) has explicitly recorded in his Śrutavatara that Virasēna had the benifit of councilling from his versatile master Ēlācārya. The region of Ponnur (Sk. Hēmagrāma) and Nilagiri hills was known as Maleyadeśa, the zone of mountains where lived Ēlācārya, an enlightened monk :
Dakṣinadēsē maleya Hēmagrāmē munirmahātmāsīt Elācārya namna Dravida gaṇādhiśōdhīmān
4.4.2. It is hard to fix up the identity of Elācārya. Veteran Kondakundācārya (Circa 2nd cent.) had the cognomen of Elācārya. Indranandi (930) refers to a miracle performed by one Elācārya who lived in the Hēmagrāma refered above, vide his work Jvälinikalpa. Some epigraphs speak of the austerity of accomplished Elācārya, a pupil of Sridharadeva [EC. V (R) K. R. Nagara. 36 (XIV Ye 84) C. 10th cent. Cikka-Hanasōge, p. 23; ibid. No. 33]. Therefore, it can only be said that the revered gūru of Virasēna lived in the mid eighth century.
4.4.3. Svāmi Virasēna has authored three works on Jaina philosophy: 1. Dhavala-Tikā, 2. Jaya-Dhavala-Tikā, and 3. Siddha-Bhu-Paddhati-Tikā. Of the three Books, the last one is not extant, except that it has been duly mentioned in Uttarapuraṇa of Gunabhadra, in the colophon. The very title suggests that the text had incorporated material dealing with Jaina concept of the science of computation and Cosmography and kṣētra-ganita.
4.4.3.1. During the last years of SahasatungaDantidurga and in the reign of Kṛṣṇa-I and his two sons, Prabhutavarṣa Govinda-II and Nirupama Dhruva, Acārya Virasēna, on the advice of his teacher Elācārya, left Citrakūta monastery to join the illustrions cloister at Vaṭagrāma. With an orchestra of scholar-mendicants, like Dasaratha,