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INTRODUCTION
that the influence of Caityavāsis persisted for a considerable time after 1080 Vikrama era.
Vīrācārya was endowed with such miraculous power through worship of Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, that he once made even a girl of five years successfully carry on a learned debate with a Digambara dialectician named Kamalakīrii on the subject whether women can attain salvation.
ŚRI JINADATTASURI Sri Jinadattāsūri was born in s. y. 1132 of Vacchiga father and Bahadadevi mother of Humbada caste at Dhavalak (modern Dholkā). He was initiated in s. y. 1141 by Sri Dharmadeva a pupil of Sri Jinesvarasūri. He was ordained Achārya and was declared successor to Sri Jinavallabhasūri (who had died in s. y. 1167) by Sri Devabhadrācārya (a pupil of the famous Navāngavsttikāra Sri Abhayadevasūri) in s. y. 1169 and received the name, 'Sri Jinadattasūri.' He was thus a contemporary of the famous Vādi Devasūri and Kalikāla. sarvajña Hemacāndrācārya. He was a great Māntrika and was successful in securing control through Sadhanā over the famous 52 Viras (Powerful male Mântric deities) and 64 Yoginis. (Powerful female Māntric deities) as also 5 Piras * presiding over and having their abode at the confluence of the five rivers named Pañjnad with the Indus in the Panjāb. At Ajmer he secured control over the deity presiding over lightning and obtained a boon. He made thousands of people of all castes including several princes embrace Jainism by his preachings and miraculous powers. He warded off an epidemic at Vikramapura, modern Bikāner, and thousands embraced Jainism as a result. It is said that a Jain layman named Nāgadeva worshipped Srī Ambikā to find out who was the 'Yugapradhāna', the leader of the age, and Sri Ambikā wrote a verse in his palm and said that he who would read the verse was the Yugapradhāna. Nāgadeva went round showing his palm and ultimately came
* See p. 243 post for Sadhana of 5 Piras.
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