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Dr. Charlotte Krause : Her Life & Literature
misery of life in this world, were it not for a few Jaina termini like ‘Jina', 'Tīrthakrt', 'Karman', 'şat-kāyāḥ', some proper nouns like ‘Vrşauha', 'Nābheya' ( both synonyms of the Jina's name ), etc., and the emphasis laid on the Tīrthankara's perfect passionlessness, which betray its Jaina origin.
Following a custom in vogue with Jaina poets of the period, the author does not address the Tīrthankara as such ( the 'BhāvaJina', to use a Jaina technical term ) but the Tīrthankara image of a certain sacred place ( the 'Sthāpanā-Jina' ), in the present case the Adinātha image of 'Delaüala', or, Sanskritized, 'Deva-kula', or 'Devakula Pataka', modern Delwārā. This is a small place in Mewar, about 3-4 m. from Ekalingajī, north of Udaipur, famous for its archaeological remains, particularly such of Jaina temples, which confirm the tradition that some centuries ago, the bells from 300 Tīrthankara temples would sound there simultaneously. Even now, three Jaina temples of the Bāvana-Jinālaya type stand there, two of which are dedicated to Ādinātha.
Stanza 25 of this hymn bears a reference to Ācārya Somasundara Sūri, the 50th ( according to other: 51st ) pontiff of the Tapā Gaccha, whom we had occasion to mention as a brother disciple of Jñānasāgara Sūri, the author of the Munisuvrata-stavana, as well as to Somasundara Sūri's pupil, the Sahasrāvadhānin Munisundara Sūri, who was likewise mentioned before, as a student of Jñānasāgara Sūri. The names of both these dignitaries are followed by the expression 'tridaśa-vrnda', which, by way of a pun, allows of the interpretation of 'belonging to the flock of Acārya Devasundara Sūri', which latter, as already stated, was the common Guru of Jñānasāgara Sūri and Somasundara Sūri.
The assertion of our poet that the feet of the Ādinātha of Devakula Pāțaka are worthy to be reverentially saluted by Somasundara and Munisundara, bears reference to actual happenings, for epigraphical and literal evidence show that the history of this Tīrtha is bound up with the activity of these two Ācāryas." Somasundara
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