________________
182 Studies in Umāsvāti
Mangarasa is the second author who has clearly
mentioned the auto-comm. of US. 7.5. GP was āryanuta, was praised by the ācāryas [-Pampa
(941), Adipurāņam 1-12]; venerable, and courageous, indulged in austerity for the purification of the self and knew the core of Jainism, [Sāntinātha 91060], Sukumāra carite, 1-13); he had crushed the pseudo-philosophies and capable of showing the easy path to cross the wood of the profane life [Karnaparyāya(1145) Nemināthapurāṇam, 1-10); he can dispel the darkness of ignorance [Aggala(1189) Candraprabha-purāṇam, 1-18]; there are a number of excellent philosophies in the world and the differences between them are more; but it is GP who narrated it in such a way that one can understand it in a
facile manner [Brahmasiva (1170) Samaya Parīkse, 1–3]. 7.6 Medieval Kannada poets also excell the early writers in
gratefully remembering the greatness of GP; 'how can I describes the superiority of GP; whatever he says is Tattvārtha, whatever he touches is good for the living being, whatever he does is the ideal life for others to emulate [Gunavarma-11 (1235), Puspadanta-purāņa, 1-18], his restraint was only worthy of a ācārya (Janna (1230), Anantanāthapurāņam, 1-13]; our duty is to praise his lotus-feet [kamalabhava (AD.1235), śāntīśvarapurāņam, 1-19]; and Kumudendu(1270), Rāmāyaṇa, 1-14); the lotus feet of GP, whose lustre has enveloped the sky of Jainism' is surrounded by the lay votaries (Bāhubali
Pandita(1352), Dharmanāthapurāņam, 1-16): 7.7. Of the other references worth considering only three are
to be discussed here: i.e. Nemicandra (AD1170) is the only author in Kannada literature who has mentioned about the glosses of TS. Nemicandra says GP, the earliest (ācārya) of Jina dharma authored TS, a marvel for