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NandiSootra
[029] MEANING I pay homage to Arya Dharma and to Arya Bhadragupt and then to Arya Vajra who had become diamond-hard (vajra) through virtues like austerity and discipline.
COMMENTARY-In the opinion of commentators Jindas gani Mahattar (Churnikar), Acharya Haribhadra Suri (Vrittikar) and Malayagiri (Tikakar) these verses and are interpolated. However, they are available in the ancient manuscripts and according to Acharya Shri Hastimalji M., the Acharyas mentioned therein were great scholars of Agams and towering personalities of their respective times. For their special talents these Yuga-pradhanacharyas must have been accepted as Vachanacharyas in spite of their not belonging to the Vachak-lineage.
Arya Dharma - Arya Shandilya was succeeded by Arya Revatimitra and then by Arya Dharma as Yuga-pradhanacharya. He was born in the year 392 A.N.M. (77 B.V., 134 B.C.). After getting initiated at the age of 12 years and a 40 year long period of ascetic practices he became Yuga-pradhanacharya in the year 450 A.N.M. (19 B.V., 76 B.C.). He died in the year 494 A.N.M. (25 V., 32 B.C.). (V. = year of the Vikram calendar)
Arya Bhadragupt - Arya Dharma was succeeded by Arya Bhadragupta as Yuga-pradhanacharya. He was born in the year 422 A.N.M. (47 B.V., 104 B.C.) and was initiated in the year 449 A.N.M. (17 B.V., 74 B.C.). At the age of 45 years he became Yuga-pradhanacharya in the year 494 A.N.M. and he died in the year 533 A.N.M. (64 V., 7 A.D.). He was a great scholar of astrology and the teacher of the renowned Acharya Vajra Swami.
Arya Vajra Swami - It is believed that the extremely intelligent last Dashapurvadhar, Arya Vajra Swami had acquired Jati-smaran jnana (the knowledge about earlier births). This unique person is probably the only example in Jain history that was given as alms at the age of 6 months to his own father who was an ascetic. He was brought up in the midst of Shramanis (female ascetics), as a result of which he had acquired the voluminous knowledge of scriptures at an early age. The grand-son of merchant Dhan of Avanti and the son of Dhanagiri, Arya Vajra had started giving scriptural discourses to his colleague shramans (Jain ascetics) when he was still a minor. For acquiring the knowledge of Purvas his guru Arya Simhagiri sent him to Arya Bhadragupta.
After absorbing the knowledge of ten Purvas he returned to Arya Simhagiri. He was awarded the status of Acharya in the year 548 A.N.M. (79 V., 22 A.D.). For the spread of religion Acharya Vajra toured extensively and inspired the masses with his profound knowledge and strict austerities. Acharya Vajra Swami died somewhere in southern India in the year 584 A.N.M. (115 V., 58 A.D.). The famous Chinese traveler Huentsang had met him during his travels to India and was highly impressed with his knowledge of astrology. He has mentioned this in his travelogue.
[030] MEANING - pay homage to the great austere ascetic Arya Rakshit, who protected the all-important possession of right conduct belonging to him and the other practices, who also protected the jewellery-chest like Anuyog (the subject wise classified divisions of vast scriptural knowledge).
COMMENTARY - According to the popular belief in the Shvetämbar tradition, the second phase in the decline of the scriptural knowledge started after the death of Arya Vajra; the knowledge of the ten Purvas was extant up to Arya Vajra. After him it gradually diminished. The changing times brought about a continuing decline in the general intelligence and capacity to remember. The shramans of that period put Aagam- 44 -NandiSootra
16 Compiled by- Deepratnasagar
