Gandharwad

Author(s): Ratnaprabhvijay, D P Thaker
Publisher: Jain Granth Prakashak Sabha

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there is no doubt that the author was a highly-esteemed scholar of his age.
He was the first Jaina writer and preacher who had consistently attempted to interprete and explain the principles of the Jaina Canon (or the religious principles preached by the great Jinus ) in such a manner as to appeal to the intellect of the people. That is to say, he did not instruct his pupils or followers only in a traditional artificial way without caring for the inner motive or spirit of the preachings. Though he preached the same old traditional principles of the Jaina Canon, he interpreted and explained them in a logical way so as to appeal to their intellect. He was, therefore, accepted by the people as an unparalleled preacher and scholar of the age and hence was awarded the title of युगप्रधान “yugapradhāna”.?
His knowledge was not confined to the religious lore, but
6. Here are the tributes paid to him by several commentators:(i) जिनभद्रगणिं स्तौमि क्षमाश्रमणमुत्तमम् । ___ यः श्रुताजीतमुद्दभ्रे शौरिः सिन्धोः सुधामिव ॥१॥
-Tilakācārya in his Avas'ayaka Vritti. (ii) वाक्यैर्विशेषातिशयविश्वसन्देहहारिभिः। जिनमुदं जिनभद्रं किं क्षमाश्रमणं स्तुवे ॥
-- Muni Candra Suri in Amara Caritra. (iii) जिनवचननतं विषमं भावार्थ यो विविच्य शिष्येभ्यः ॥ ___ • इत्थमुपादिशदमलं परोपकारैककृतचेताः ॥
तं नमत बोधजलधि गुणमंदिरमखिलवाग्मिनां श्रेष्ठम् ॥
चरणश्रियोपगूढं जिनभद्रगणिक्षमाश्रमणम् ॥ - Malayagiri Sūri in his Commentary on Brihat Ksetra Samāsa. 7. Vide नमह य अणुओग-धरं जुगप्पहाणं पहाण नाणायमयं । - सव-सुइ-सत्थ-कुसलं दंसण-नाणोवओगमग्गम्मिठियं ।।
--Siddhasena Sūri in his Cūrni on Jītakalpasūtra.