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86/ The Rāştrakūtas and Jainism
of late Prof. M. A. Dhaky has established unambiguously, based on literary and epigraphical evidence, the temporal bracket of Vidyānanda as C. E. 900 and 950. Dhaky has firmly ascertained that the great Digambara epistemologist Vidyānanda belonged to Mūlasangha-nandi-sangha V(B)aļagāra-gana, and that he was a contemporary of Ganga Permāļi alias Mārasimha-II who founded a Jaina shrine at Annigere in memory of his father Būtuga-II [Dhaky, M. A.; in Nirgrantha, vol. 2; 1996 : 25-28].
4.5.5.5. Vidyānanda is a sharp critic of Buddhist doctrines and other schools of philosophy. He is gifted with facile poetic style in Sanskrit which flows like a river on the plane. He has made of some the Jaina philosophical points more sharp. He has been influenced by Samantabhadra, Pujyapāda and Akalanka more than by any of his other predecessors. Syādvāda-Ratnākara of Vādidēvasūri, a later author of 13th cent., alludes to Vidyānanda-Mahödaya, as another work of Vidyānanda, but it is not extant.
4.5.6. Guņabhadra (820-98) au courant, an uptodate author of greater merit has the repute of executing and completing his teacher's dream. He had the singular distinction of being a brilliant pupil of rare masters of the Rāstrakūta age. Jinasēna-II and Dasaratha guru were his instructors who trained Guņabahdra in a scholastic and academic atmosphere. He had the best tution and at the some time he had the guidance of sparkling confreres like Lõkasēna.
4.5.6.1. While his educator Jinasēna-II was a spiritual professor of Amõghavarşa, Gunabhadra was the preacher of Krşņa-II. Thus, the teacher and disciple, Jinasēna and Guņabhadra, had implanted the seeds of sramaņa dharma along with enlightening rājadharma in father and son, Amoghavarşa and Kșşņa.
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