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SVASTI – Essays in Honour of Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah
Mānikyanandi but those two illustrious epistemologists are implied in that context. Likewise, this is the only inscription which mentions these two notable figures. Also, the pontiff Tribhuvanacandra's claim of succession from those two illustrious pontiffs does neither seem spurious or a pretence. No attempt at appropriation of these great names by way of establishing a glorious lineage for himself can be discerned in the draft; or else, some other famous names such as Samantabhadra. Devanandi, Pātrakesari, and Akalankadeva could as well have figured. The hagiology given there has all the appearance of being unambiguous and hence of indubitable genuineness. The temporal bracket of Vidyānanda, on this showing, can now firmly be ascertained to have been between A.D. 900 and 950 as noted earlier in the discussion."
19 Vidyadhara Joharpurkar, in his "Introduction", summarizes the content of the Gāvarvāda inscription but offers no comment on the implications which have a strong, in fact very vital bearing on the date of Vidyānanda as also of Māņikyanandi. (Cf. Jaina silalekha Sangraha, MDJG No. 48, Varanasi V. N. 2491/A.D. 1964, pp. 10, 11).
