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INTRODUCTION
As there have been several persons bearing identical names it is difficult to state with certainty who amongst them was the author of the said work. From the references however in the said work to Sriprabha, Nemiprabha, Lalitaprabha, Sri Padmadeva and others we think that he probably belonged to Rājagaccha and was the pupil of Sri Nemicandra. His pupil Maņikyacandrasūri wrote in 1246 Vikrama era the commentary named Sanketa on Kavyaprakāśa of Mammațācārya and Pārsvacaritra (1276 Vikrama era) and also Sāntināthacarita
ŚRI AMARACANDRASORI Sri Amaracandrasūri, author of Balabhārata Mahākāvya ranks among the great classical SanskȚta poets and his fame is not restricted merely to the Jain world but has spread far and wide amongst all Sansksta-knowing people. He was a contemporary of ministers Vastupāla and Tejapāla and flourished in the 13th century of the Vikrama era. He is known as a Siddha-Sarasvata Kavi i. e. one who has been fortunate in securing the favour of the goddess of learning Sarasvati by her Mantric worship. His life is described in Sri Rajasekharasūri's Prabandha Kosa from which an extract is also given in the introduction to his poem Bālabhārata published by Nirnayasägara Press. It is stated in his said biography that he obtained a Mantra for worship of Sarasvati from Kavirāja Amarasimha, * a devotee of his preceptor Sri Jinadattasūri of Vāyadagaccha, and successfully performed the Sadhanā of Sarasvati, for twenty one days accompanied by necessary Homa. At the end of the said Sadhana Sarasvati appeared before him, in her divine form, at midnight from the disc of the moon that had risen in the sky, gave him nectar from her own bowl to drink and gave him the boon that he might be an accomplished poet honoured
* He was a protegee of Vastupåla and wrote Suksta Sankirtana praising the good deeds of the minister Vastupāla. At the end of each of its 11 cantos five verses are by Sri Amaracandrasūri in course of which he praises the poetic powers of Amarasimba and calls him the full-moon of the great ocean of nectar of Sarasvati. This shows the great regard he had for Amarasimha.
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