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INTRODUCTION
Vidyādharas who were contemporaneous with Sri Mahāvīra. VIDYADHARA PEDHĂLAKA AND VIDYACAKRAVARTI MAHEŚVARA
At pp. 685 ff. of Srī Haribhadrasūris commentary on Avasyakasūtra are described the doings of Vidyāsiddha Pedhālaka who was a non-Jain ascetic contemporaneous with Sri Mahavira and his son Satyaki who accomplished the Sadhanā of Mahārohini killed Pedhālaka and became known as Rudra and overpowered Kālasaņdīpaka who created three Puras or bodies in the fight. He thus became Vidyacakravarti and was given the name 'Mahesvara'. He had two pupils Nandiśvara and Nandi who were also similarly accomplished. Th important feature of this annecdote is the belief amongst Jains in the extraordinary powers acquired by Sadhanā of Vidyās such as Mahārohiņi and others even in such early times. We need not add that Rohiņi is the first in the group of sixteen Vidyādevis + in the Jain Pantheon.
In the next section we shall show by references from Sūyagadañgasūtra, Paumacariyam and Vasudeva-Hindi that Vidyās used to be employed by Vidyadharas from the most ancient times. and how Sri Pārsvanātha's worship became extremely popular.
ŚRI RATNAPRABHASORI In the line of Sri Pārsvanātha in 52 Vīra era flourished Achārya Sri Ratnaprabhasūri. He was a pupil of Svayambhavasūri and a grandpupil of Sri Kesikumāra Sramana. It is related about him that he was a Vidyadhara accomplished in Vidyās especially Akasagamini or the flying lore and Bahurūpiņi or the lore enabling one to assume as many bodies as one liked and bore before his initiation the name Ratnacūda. He revived the son of a minister bit by a serpent and given up as dead by his magical power and converted lacs of people headed by the said minister to Jainism and formed them into the Ośwāla caste which exists to
+ "Of all the conceptions found in the Jains Iconography, none is so original as the conception of the Vidyādevis or the Goddesses of learning". Page. 163, The Jain Iconography by Prof. B. C. Bhattacharya
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