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INTRODUCTORY
very little is known about his personal life. Our knowledge in this respect is solely based on the meagre references given by him in some of his works. The 20th uddeśaka of the NC. reveals the name of the author as Jina läsa, whereas Gani and Mahattara are mentioned as two epithets bestowed upon him by his able preceptor. 1 At the end of the Nandi Cūrņi the author has mentioned his name in a very queer way. The verse mentioned there runs as Nirenanagattamahā sadājina,? which with a proper emendation may be read as 7ņadā sagaņiņāmahattarena' and provides a link towards the identity of its author. According to the Uttarādhyayana Cūrņi, another work ascribed to Jinadāsa, he was the disciple of Govā liya Mahattara or Gopāla Gani Mahattara of Vānija Kula, Kodiya Gana and Vayara Śākha. 4 The name of the fathers and the mother of the author has been vaguely mentioned in the 13th and 15th uddeśakas of the NC. Thus, it is difficult to discern the actual names of his parents. In view of Pt. Kalyānavijaya Gani these verses reveal his father's name as Candra and mother's name as Viradhāvā, both the names being quite popular in the Marubhūmi from ancient times.' Two verses at the end of the 16th uddešaka of the NC, mention the names of his other six brothers and indicate that he was the fourth amongst the seven brothers. As an instance of extreme
1. ति चउ पण अट ठमवग्गे, ति पणग ति तिग अक्खरा व ते तेसि ।
पढमततिपहि तिदुसरजुएहि णामं कयं जस्स ॥ Tafamui TfUTTI, FETICE
I NC. 4, p. 411. 2. Nandi Carni ( Frakrit Text Society ), p. 83. 3. See-Descriptive Catalogue of Jaina Matuscripts, Vol. XVlly Part
III, Preface p. XXV. 4. Uttarādhyayana Cūrņi, p. 283. 5. संकरजष्टमउडविभूसणस्स तण्णामसरिसणामस्स।
en gaia , fa#aztoft PURATEFA 11--NC. 3, p. 426. 6. रविकर नभिधाणऽक्खरसत्तमवग्गंतअक्खरजुपणं।
VIT | Heft, và đi I LUft |--NC, 3, p. 594. 7. Kalyāņavijaya Gaņi, op. cit., p. 30. 8. देहडो सीह थोरा य, ततो जेट ठा सहोथरा । कणिठा देउलो णण्णो, सत्तमो य तिइज्जगो।
katër afta HT 3, #2 at man fiftrat i--NC. 4, p. 163.
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