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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
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which do not seem to have so far been noticed. One of these (6183) was composed in 1675 V.S. or 1618 A.D.
XXV
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Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
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The chief interest of the Vidyārṇava (6206) lies in the account it gives of the foundation of the town of Vijayanagara. The account, which does not appear to have so far been recorded in any of the several modern works on Vijayanagara, does not, unlike other legendary accounts, refer to Harihara Bukka and Vidyaranya whose names are almost invariably associated with the foundation and the naming of the town. It does not constitute a version of the legends already recorded but gives a new and independent story by itself. In giving the history of the composition of the work it is stated that it was composed at the request of an unnamed king 1 of Vijayanagara, the posthumous son of Prauḍhadeva. The author appears to have been a man of influence. For it is told that when Praudhadeva died 2 leaving his queen with child it was the author of the present work who acted as regent in pursuance of the wishes of the people. As regent he is stated to have built the beautiful town of Vidyanagara (Vijayanagara) resembling the mystic Śri-cakra. When the son of Prauḍhadeva attained majority and was fit for carrying on the duties of a king he was placed on the throne. And at the request of the king and learned men of eminence the work was composed.
According to Prof. Salatore the foregoing version of the story about the origin of Vijayanagara has no historical value. The Vidyarnava, Prof. Salatore rightly observes, can in no way be assigned to a date earlier than A.D. 1446, the year of the death of Praudhadeva, whose posthumous son could come to the throne only after that year 3, when the town had already been in existence for a large number of years, having been constructed in 1368.
Besides referring to the history of the origin of Vijayanagara the work under review traces the line of teachers of the school of Sankarācārya, beginning from the great master and ending with the
1 The name of the king is given as Ambadeva by Mahamahopadhyaya Gopinath Kaviraj presumably on the authority of the MS. of the Vidyarnava belonging to the Benares Sanskrit College (Brahmasutra-Acyutagranthmala, Introduction, p. 54).
Benares,
2 For an account of the death of Praudhadeva and other details about the author of the work cf. Ind. Cult., VI. 107-9.
3 Ind. Cult., VI. 244-5.
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