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THE DIGAMBARA LITERATRUB
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and the Sarasvati gaccha (Idar branch). The first guru of this branch was Sakalakirti, whose earliest known date is V.S. 1490166. He was also the author of several works.
Vādicandra, the disciple of Prabhācandra of the Balātkāra gaņa (Surat branch), was the author of several works. His earliest poem the Pārsvapurāṇa156, was completed in V.S. 1640 at the town of Vālmīkinagara. Here he describes his guru Prabhācandra as the successful rival of several religious
onents, including those belonging to the Buddhist and Brāhmaṇical sects. The work has 1500 verses. His second work the Jñanasūryodaya187, is a play, in which he has tried not only to ridicule the Brahmins and their philosophical systems, including the Upanishads, but also the Svetapața (Svetāmbara) Jains. This fully proves that as late as the end of the 16th century A.D., there was no love lost between the philosophers of there two principal Jain sects. The play is a parody of Kșshna Miśra's Prababodhacandrodaya in which the Digambaras, along with the Buddhists, have been severely ridiculed and criticised. Here Vādicandra has tried to pay back his Brāhmaṇical opponents, in their own coin. This drama was written at Mādhūkanagara (Mahuā, Gujarat) in V.S. 1648. The author's Pavanadūta158 is a weak imitation of the celebrated Meghadūta of Kālidāsa. His Šripāla ākhyāna168, was completed in V.S. 1651 and the Pāndayapurāņa160 in V.S. 1654. The latter work was written at Nodhaka Nagara. Afterwards, he wrote his Yasodharacarita161, in the Cintāmani temple of Ankaleśvara (near Broach) in V.S. 1657 and the Sulocanācarita162, was written before 1661. His other works are also known183.
Brahma Nemidatta was another well-known Digambara writer of the 16th century. A very good number of his works are known. He belonged to the Malasangba, Sarasvati gaccha and the Balātkāragana and was a disciple of Mallibhashana and his other guru was Vidyānandin. His earliest date is supplied by the Ārādhanā Kathakośa166, which was written about V.S. 1575. In this work, he has
