Book Title: Comprehensive History of Jainism Volume II
Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chaterjee
Publisher: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd

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Page 353
________________ THE JAIN ZİRTHAS 343 to Mahāvira and Pārsvarātha, at this place. The temple of Mahāvira is mentioned in an epigraph of v.S. 1221 (see Nahar op.cit., 1, No. 883). Another temple of Pārsva is mentioned in an epigraph, of that place, dated V.S. 1236 (ibid., I, No. 884). Siddhasena in his Sakalatirthastotra (G.O.S. 76, pp. 312-16), recognises it as a tirtha. A separate Svetāmbara gaccha, called Sanderaka gaccha, originated from this place, in the 10th century or more correctly, V.S. 964, according to a later epigraph (see Jinavijaya, op.cit., II, No. 336), and the founder was Yaśobhadra sūri. In several epigraphs, of later times, the monks of this gaccha have been mentioned. See Jinavijaya, ibid., Nos. 217, 213, 108-9, 388, 385, 540 and Nahar, ibid., I, Nos. 839, 519, 415, 357 etc. etc. 233. Shergarh :-This place, situated some 90 miles South-west of Kota, in Rajasthar, was once known as Kośavardhana and there were Jain temples in this place, in the early mediaeval period. Epigraphs of the 10th century, and also of later period, refer to the building of Jina temples and also to festival, connected with Neminätt a at this town ; for details, see K, C, Jain, op.cit., p. 240. 234. Simhapura :--This tirtha, also known as Simhapuri, is identified by the present-day Jains with Sarnath near Vārānasi, the world-famous Buddhist tīrtha ; see Tirtha Darsan, I, pp. 80ff. Simhapuri is the place, where according to the Jain tradition, the 11th Tirthankara Śreyātsa was born. However, the evidence of Yuan Chwang seems to suggest that this place is identical with Simhapura, situated in the Salt Range (Punjab, Pakistan), which has been described by that pilgrim as connected with a "founder" of the "while-cloth" sect (see Watters, On Yuan Chwang's Travels etc., 1, p. 251) ; see also supra, I, pp. 97, 98, 151-52 etc. The present Simhapuri near Sarnath, has no old sculpture or epigraph and we can safely ignore its claim as the tirtha, associated with Śreyāmsa. However, as we have already pointed out, all the Tirthankaras before Pārśvanātha,

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