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JAIN MANTRAVADA AND CAITYAVASIS: SRI BAPPABHATTISURI
SRI SILAGUNASURI (Circa 8th century A.D.)
We then come to the times of the famous Silagunasūri who brought up under his personal care the famous Vanaraj of the Chāwdā dynasty who founded Anhilapurpatan in s.y. 802. In Prabhavaka Caritra the name of the Acharya who brought up Vanarāj is given as Devacandra. This Devacandra was himself a pupil of Sri Silagunasuri and it might be that he took charge and care of Vanarāj under the orders of Sri Silagunasūri. According to the inscription No. 510 in the 2nd volume of the Inscriptions collected by Sri Jinavijaya he was a pupil of Sīlagunasūri : "श्रीचापोरकट वंशोद्भवमहाराज श्रीवनराज गुरु श्रीनागेन्द्रगच्छे श्री गुणसूरि शिष्य श्रीदेव चंद्रसूरिमूर्तिः " This suggests that the idol bearing the inscription was of Sri Devacandrasuri and that he was the preceptor of Sri Vanarāj. According to Sri Prabhāvakacaritra, Vanarāj had given a writing to the Caityavasi Sadhus that only those Sadhus who were permitted by the Caityavasis should stay in his capital and others not so permitted should not stay. Caityavāsis were considered as Kulgurus (i.e. family-priests of Chāwdā dynasty) as appears from the following Duha (couplet). It also shows that there were other Gacchas also at that time such as Sandesara, Chaudasiya (as distinguished from Paurņamikas) and others known to be family-priests of other royal dynasties: " शिसोदीया संडेसरा चउदशिया चोहाण | चैत्यवासिया चावडा कुलगुरु एह वखाण ॥"
205
P. 188 Short History of Jain Literature by M. D. Desai.
SRI BAPPABHATTISŪRI
We then come to Sri Bappabhattisūri alias Bhadrakīrti. He was a great poet and also a great dialectician and has composed several stotras of which Caturavimsati-Jina-Stuti and hymns to Sarasvati and Santidevată only are available. He lived from 800 to 895 Vikrama era.
Jain Education International 2010_03
See appendix 12 hereto; the hymn referred to in Prabhavakacaritra is not available. He has also written a Sarasvati-Mantra-Kalpa. See appendix 12.
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