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Ancient Jaina Hymns
371
Gurūņām Svādhyāya', of V.S. 1569, in which the same Māņikyavimala, who wrote the above manuscript of the 'Gautama Rāsa', states his Guru 'Śrīvimala' to be a pupil of the 'Laghu-Sālīya Gacchanāyaka Śrī Hemavimala Sūri’. Since, as we saw above, the ‘Laghu Pauśālika', or ‘Laghu-Śālīya' Gaccha branched off from the Tapā Gaccha after Hemavimala Sūri's death, these two records clearly indicate that "Vimaladharma Gaņi' belonged to the same order as Hemavimala Sūri. The former two references show that this Vimaladharma must have been at least 20 years older than our poet, and that he was a 'Pandita', familiar with the Āgamas and the Vedas, as well as a personality of influence and attractive force. Nothing stands thus in the way to assume that this 'Vimaladharma', may have been our poet's 'Vidyāguru', whom he felt bound in gratitude to extol in his hymn.
4. The Śankheśvara-Pārsvanātha-Stavana
Hemavimala Sūri, the 55th pontiff of the Tapā Gaccha main line, was, as we saw above, succeeded by his pupil Anandavimala, in the straight continuation of that line, the 'Hema sākhā'. In a minor line branching off from the latter, the Sādhus Harşavimala, Jayavimala, Kirttivimala, Vinayavimala and Dhiravimala Gani succeeded one another in this order. The latter's disciple Jñānavimala Sūri made himself a name as a poet and scholar during the pontificate of Vijayaprabha Sūri, the 61st head of the Tapā Gaccha, and gained such influence that, after Vijayaprabha's death, he was counted as the 62nd pontiff by his followers. The new branch thus initiated is known as the 'Vimala sākhā' or 'Vimala Gaccha' 103. It is this dignitary who interests us here as the author of the 'Sankheśvara-Pārsvanātha-stavana'.
A sketch of his life has been given by the late M.D. Desai104, along with a survey of his works, so that details re both need not be reiterated here. For the present purpose, it will be sufficient to know that he was born in V.S. 1694, ordained by his Guru Dhīravimala Gani in 1702 under adoption of the monk's name of 'Nayavimala',
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