________________
ACHRYA SAMANTABHADRA AND PATLIPUTRA. [By-D. G. Mahajan, Esqr, M.R A.S, (London) Working President. C. P. & Berar Jain Research Institute, YEOTMAL. ]
The great Jain Acharya Samantabhadra's name has been associated with PATALIPUTRA and it has been a belief of the Scholars till late, that Acharya Samantabhadra had visited Patliputra named PATNA at present. This belief has a basis in the following rhyme in Sanskrit in the inscription:
पूर्व पाटलिपुत्रमव्यनगरे भेरी मया ताडिता । पश्चान्मालव सिन्धुकविषये कांचीपुरे वैदिशे || 6 6 gud fastend end | वादार्थी विचराम्यहं नरपते शार्दूलविक्रीडितं || '
1. It is an inscription found at Sravanabelgola, a most famous holy place-Thirthakhetra of the Jain Religion since the Christan Era, in Mysore State, South India. This being the only one of its kind, naturally much importance is given to it. My learned friend Pandit Jugalkisor Mukatiyar and others, on the strength of this inscription are led to belive, that Acharya Samantabhadra visited this Pataliputra-PATNA during the travel he made in the country of the then Bharatavarsha, as refered to in the above inscription.
2. While on tour of South India, on the occassion of the Indian History Congress sessions held at Madras and Annamalai University in the years 1945 and 1946 respectively, the research in the Jain culture in the ages before, I came across a town called CUDDALORE, which was then known as Patliputra and hence a doubt arose in my mind to find out whether the reference to Patliputra in the above inscription as the place to which Acharya Samantabhadra visited is
1. Sravanabelgola inscription No. 54 old and 67 new. It is also called "Mallisen Prashasti" which was written in Sak Samvat 1050, i. e. 1100 century A. D.
2. "Atmamima nsa' page 4, refered in "Swami Samatbhadra" a Hindi book by Pandit Jugal Kisor Mukatiyar.
