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SUBSEQUENT MANTRIKAS: SRI JINAPRABHASURI
229
In his commentary on the first verse of the said hymn he quotes verses 33&34 from Ch.III of Sri Bhairava Padmāvatī-Kalpa wrongly attributing them to Srī Jinadattasūri. A possible explanation of the mistake is that Sri Jinadattasüri must have incorporated some portions including the said verses, of Sri Bhairava Padmavati Kalpa in some work of his own, possibly a work on Hrimkāra or Māyābīja which Mantra is known to be a favourite Mantra of Sri Jinadattasūri, and since his time of the followers of Kharataragaccha, and then amongst all the Jains. The dates of his birth, initiation etc. and details of his parentage and place of birth are not known. He studied under Śri Jináratnācārya. There is no doubt that he was a very learned man as his commentary on Sri Hemacandrācārya's Prāksta Dvyāsraya Kávya composed in 1307 of Vikrama era shows conclusively.
SRI JINAPRABHASORI The exact years of the birth and the death of Sri Jinaprabhasūri are not known, but his life most probably extended from about 1320 to 1390 Vikrama era.* It appears from an account contained in a Pattāvali of the 17th century that he was the third or the fifth son of a Bania merchant of Tāmbi Srimāla Gotra who lived at Zuznu (Vadodrā according to another version) in Vāgada. According to an older account the merchant lived at Sohilavādi or Mohilavādi and his name was Ratnapāla. His wife Khetalladevi gave birth to a son named Subhațapāla who was initiated in 1326 or 1336 Vikrama era, by Sri Jinásimhasūri of Kharatagaccha at the suggestion of Sri Padmāvatidevi who promised to be the tutelary deity-Istadevatā of the suggested pupil.
* In the addendum to Kannānaya-Mahăvira-Kalpa by Śrī Vidyātilaka (alias Somatilakasûri, a pupil of Sri Sanghatilakasūri who has described Sri Jinaprabhasūri as his Vidyāguru although he was a pupil of Sri Gunasekharasūri), Sri Jinaprabasūri is described as living and his doings upto 1390 Vikrama era are narrated.
As Ibn Batūtah the famous Moorish traveller, who came to the Court of Mahomed Tughlaq adout 1390 Vikrama era does not mention Sri Jinaprabhasūri, although he describes several prominent persons in the Court, it may be presumed that Sri Jinprabhasūri was not living then.
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