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Bappa Bhatti and His Tārāgana
Bappa Bhatti was a distinguished Icărya with great in fluence in the contemporary royal courts; a line of succession of Teachers started from him, and to this lin: belongs Silhárant, alias Šri-Siddhasenasūri, the author of the l'iläsarai haha (A D 1066) - This is clear from the following Gäthä;
रायसहासेहरसिरियप्पहट्टिसूरिस्म । जसभहसूरिंगच्छे महुरादेसे सिरोहा || आसि सिरिसंतिसूरी तस्म पर आमि सूरिजमदयो । सिरिसिद्धसेणसूरी तस्स वि सीमो जडमई मां ॥ साहारणो ति नाम सुपसिद्धो अस्थि पुब्वनामणे ।
थुइथोत्ता बहुभेया जस्स पढिज्जति देसेसुं ॥ Earlier scholars like S P. PINDIT," S. KRISHVISWAMI AIYANGAR? etc. have studied most of these sources with a view to ascertaining the historical value of the references to contemporary rulers and authors associated with Bappa Bhatii
Bappa Bhatti is well known as the author of the CaturVimsatikā,a hymn in Sanskrit, containing 96 verses in diffe. rent metres, addressed to twenty-four Tirthakaras Each Jida is praised in foui verses. The style is heavy and embellished with both sabda- and artha- Alamkáras. Naturally some Sanskrit commentaries are written on it without their and many verses cannot be easily construed
The Saradā-stotra, in thirteen Sanskrit verses, quite eloqueni in style, is also composed by him. It gives indirecely details about Sarasvati as conceived in Jainism her image is pro jected with reverence and devotion, even tinged with Tantris halo, and her favour is sought for poetic gifts and for entertaining loyal patrons.
There is a third work of Bappa Bhatt The name of it is Tārāgana, and it was, so far, known from some references to it
(1) The Prabhāvaka-carita of Prabhācandra (c. 1277 4 D. 5 A. N UPADDYE The Vilasavaj of Sãdharana. An Introductory
Study, Journal of the Shivaji University, \ 2, Kolhapur, 1970 6 See Foot-note 1. 7. See Foot-note 2. 8 Sec Fuat-nule 3
