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JAIN MANTRAVADA AND CAITYAVASIS : SRI BAPPABHATTISURI
205
SRI SILAGUNASORI (Circa 8th century A.D.) We then come to the times of the famous Sīlaguņasūri who brought up under his personal care the famous Vanarāj of the Chāwdā dynasty who founded Anhilapurpătan in s.y. 802. In Prabhāvaka Caritra the name of the Acharya who brought up Vanarāj is given as Devacandra. This Devacandra was himself a pupil of Sri Silaguņasūri and it might be that he took charge and care of Vanarāj under the orders of Sri Sīlaguņasūri. According to the inscription No. 510 in the 2nd volume of the Inscriptions collected by Sri Jinavijaya he was a pupil of Silagunasūri : "wartza1aerisqayag mamama sityoffiseregtaasiumitata:" This suggests that the idol bearing the inscription was of Sri Devacandrasūri and that he was the preceptor of Sri Vanarāj. According to Sri Prabhāvakacaritra, Vanarāj had given a writing to the Caityavāsi Sadhus that only those Sādhus who were permitted by the Caityavāsis 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 Sandesarā, Chaudasiya (as distinguished from Paurņamikas) and others known to be family-priests of other royal dynasties: "Farentetai THCT agelaran atgiat
Taufan arazi gejs se tento !" P. 188 Short History of Jain Literature
by M. D. Desai. ŚRI BAPPABHATTISORI We then come to Sri Bappabhattisūri alias Bhadrakirti. He was a great poet and also a great dialectician and has composed several stotras of which Caturavimšati-Jina-Stuti and hymns to Sarasvati * and Santidevata only are available. He lived from 800 to 895 Vikrama era.
* See appendix 12 hereto; the hymo referred to in Prabhāvakacaritra is not available. He has also written a Sarasvati-Mantra-Kalpa. See appendix 12.
