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NON-CANONICAL ŚVETĀMBARA LITERATURE
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(Himalayan regions) were tall, fair, had flat nose and could carry big loads. The inhabitants of Țakka (Punjab) were lacking in the finer qualities and were close-fisted. They could not appreciate knowledge and were unchivalrous. The Sindhu people were thoroughly well-bred and soft-spoken, and at the same time had a passion for music. They were proud of their own country. The residents of the Maru country (Rajasthan) were crooked, foolish, and were given to over-eating. The people of Gurjara country were fond of butter and ghee, were religious in temperament, and at the same time, had a partiality to both peace and war. The people of Lāța were fond of perfumes and were conscious about their dress. The Mālavas were of short in stature and had dark complexions. They were both conceited and wrathful. The Karnataka people were exceedingly proud and, at the same time, addicted to women. They too were violent in temperament. The Tājikas (Muslims) were mainly non-vegetarians and knew only wine and women. The Kosalans possessed all the finer qualities of character and were easily excitable and proud. They were generally strongly built. The people of Mahārāsțra were tolerant and physically quite fit, but were however somewhat conceited and quarrelsome. The Andhras were good fighters and were handsome, but they were fond of women and known for their extravagant food habits. Elsewhere the poet has praised the people of the Lāța country. We must remember that the original home of Udyotanasūri was situated not far from Lātadeśa, and that explains why he had soft corner for that country.
Šīlānka's Caupannamahāpurīşacariyam is the earliest Svetămbara work on the lives of 54 great men. This work is written in Prākrta and, according to the Brhattippanikā, was completed in the vs 925 corresponding to AD 867. In his Acārāngațīkā we have three dates for śīlānka, Śaka 772, 784, and 798. The earliest date for this writer is therefore AD 84051 and the latest AD 876. A few scholars52 think that Sīlānka, the commentator of the Acārānga and Sūtrakstānga should be distinguished from Sīlānka the author of the Caupannamahapurīşacariyam. We should however remember that both these Silānkas belonged to the Nivrtti kula 3 and lived in the middle of the ninth century AD. There is therefore no valid reason why these two Sīlānkas should not be regarded as identical. The Acārāngaļīkā has an additional name for śīlānka, Tattvāditya, and the Caupaņņamahāpurīşacariyamgives another name, Vimalamati. It appears that Vimalamati was his original name and śīlānka or Šīlācārya the name given to
