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and caused it to be dropped on the goat tied to the sacrificial post for being sacrificed and it flew up in the sky and, inspired by Sri Ambika, extolled in human speech the doctrine of Ahimsa and directed the Brahmanas there to approach Sri Priyagranthisüri for learning the true Dharma. They thereupon approched Priyagranthisūri and thereafter strictly observed the doctrine of Ahimsā.
Chronologically we should mention here Arya Rohaņa, Kālakācārya, Revatimitra Vidyacakravarti Arya Khapuṭācārya, and Upadhyāya Mahendra, then Srīguptācārya, Vajraswami, Pādaliptasūri, Nāgārjuna and others but as details from their lives are given further on we need not say anything about them here. We would only mention Arya Nandila (circa 600 Vīra era) here. He composed the famous Mantrika hymn to Sri Vairoṭya one of the queens of Dharanendra. This hymn is preserved and printed. The details about the life of Arya Nandila the readers can learn from Prabhavakacaritra.
AIN MANTRAVADA AND CAITY AVASIS: VIDYADHARAS
VIDYADHARAS
We have described in details in the next section the origin of Vidyadharas through the two brothers Nami and Vinami, in the times of Sri Rṣabhadeva, the first Tirthankara, who were gifted with 48000 Vidyas of Gandharvas and Pannagas by Dharanendra the Indra of the serpent-deities (See p. 161-162 Avasyakacurņi) and who used to worship Sri Rṣabhadeva as also the presiding deities of the several Vidyas. As these are more or less legendary persons we describe below
*That daily worship of Vidyadevis was current in the ancient times amongst Jains is evidenced by such mention thereof in Vasudeva-Hindi (P. 366) as the following: "रोहिणी विज्जादेवयं सदा अच्चेमि ॥ "
i. e. "I always worship Vidyadevi Rohiņi." The importance of this reference would be immediately recognised when it is remembered that it occurs in a work written by Śri Sanghadāsagani who holds an unique position amongst Jains as a Bhasyakara of Siddhanta. The above is not a solitary instance. On a careful perusal of the said work, several instances of worship of Vidyadevis and other deities for accomplishment in Vidyas would be found. See p. 318 ibid for worship of the idol of Dharanendra. A reference to worship of the idol of Harinegamesi is found in Antagaḍadasānga, III, 8, Sutra 6: “ततेणं सा सुलसा वालप्पभिति चेव हरिणेगमे सीभत्तया या विहोत्था हरिणेगमे सिस्स पडिमं करेति । "
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