________________
25
of the traditional Jaina Agamas, and were rejected if they want against the tradional preachings. The example of his predecessor Siddhaséna Divakara is welknown. Siddhaséna was a freeminded, but logical interpreter. His works are full of original thoughts and independent, ideas, irrespective of their being diffrent from or similar to the traditional Jaiua Āgamas. The theory that Absolute Knowledge and Absolute Perception do not take place simultaneously but one after the other, has been proved by him by the help of logical inferences and concrete illustrations. Siddhaséna thus went against the traditional view of the Jaina Āgamas according to which the Kévala-Jrāna and the Kévala-Darsana took place simultaneously. Jinabhadra Gaņi Kșrmāśramaņa repudiates the theory of Siddhaséna Diväkara in his Viséşāvasyaka Bhāśya and re-establishes the original theory of the Jaina Āgamas that Kévala Darsana and Kévala Jņāna take place simultaneously.* Jinabhadra Gani is, thus, well-renowned as the up-holder of the Jaina traditions.
That Jinabhadra Gani Kşamāframana was an orator of established repuation is known from several seurces. The commentator Hémcandrācārya Maladhäri refers to Jinabhadragani as “ Upa Jinabhadra Kşamāsramanah Vyākhyātāraḥ ". Another commentator named Kotyācārya, who has written a commentary on the Viseşăvaśyaka Bhāsya, pays him a tribute to the same effect in the last verse of his commentary. He says I
माष्यं सामायिकस्य स्फुटविकटपदार्थोपगूढं बृहद्यड्रीमत्पूज्यैरकारि क्षतकलुषधियां भूरिसंस्कारधारि ।
† Vide qrAgA-fazni gufa--ATEITITTATI जिणभद्दखमासमणं खमासमणाण निहाणमिव एक ॥
(Ibid ) Also vide Jitakalpasūtra Editor's Preface, p. 7 * Vide 790-aastor ( ATAFTA) Frei † Vide “ Short History of Jaina Literature" Ed, by M. D.
Desai, p, 152, foot-note.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org