________________
40
According to Jain practice, Changadeva changed his name after consecration and came to be known as Somachandra. He studied Logic and Dialectics as well as grammar and poetics, as he was intelligent. When Somachandra had mastered all Sciences, Devachandra had the dignity of Acharya conferred on him in S. 1166 or (A. D. 1109-10). Dhanada held a festival on this occasion and spent much wealth. Somachandra again changed his name according to the custom of Jain monks and came to be known as Hema. chandracharya.
We shall now consider how Siddharaja came to be acquainted with Hemachandrasūri. According to the Prabhavakacharita, Kumārapāla Charita and Kumarapalaprabandha, Siddharaja was once riding an elephant through the streets of his capital and saw Hemasuri standing by a shop near a slope. The king stopped his elephant just by the maund and asked the ascetic
called a 'Mithyatvin.' The latter word is many-atime used for a Jain who does not rigidly follow the rules of his faith by his orthodox co-religionists. We may, therefore, conclude that Chachcha was not an orthodox Jain, as his wife Chahini was. The latter entered the order of Jain nuns, some years after Changadeva's consecration.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
