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158 / The Rāstrakūtas and Jainism
of poets like Gajaga, Gunanandi, Manasija et cetera has served him as illustrations for his grammar. Sridharācārya (1049), Rudrabhatta (1185) Madhura (1385), Kavi-Malla (1400), poets of eminence, have all their appreciation for Manasija and his propriety.
5.6.4.2. Jaina pontiff Indranandi (930) has unequivocally stated that Gunanandi and Kandarpa, the two confrere, were his senior preceptors who coached him to author Jvālāmālini-kalpa. This sequential statement of Indranandi deserves serious consideration. Giving more weight and credibility to Indranandi's record, supplemented by corroborative circumstantial evidences, the names of Kandarpa and Manasija could be treated as indentical. Similar instances are not lacking. Kamalabhava (born in a lotus) of Sāntisvarapurāņa is also known as Dēvakavi (1235) when he authored Kusumāvaļikāvya.
5.6.4.3. Kandarpa, mentioned in an inscription of the village Kallihāla (Hāvēri Dt) of C.E. 1019, is a later author with a gap of 120 years. Hence, he can be considered as Kandarpa-II, Whereas Kandarpa-1, tutor of Indranandi was a Jaina monk-author of circa 900C.E. As a co-existant of monk-litteratures Guņanandi and Ādi-Gunavarma, Kandarpa alias Manasija represents and joins the band of prominent Jaina men of letters of the Rāstrakūța age. To be more specific, Kandarpa (Manasija) composed his (title unknown) work(s) in the reign of Krsna-II.
5.6.4.4. Details of life and work of Gajānkuśa (Gajaga), (c.970) another Jaina author of this period to be recognised also remain mostly obscure. A host of men of letters including Durgasimha (1031), Sridharācārya (1049), Nayasēna (1112), Rudrabhatta (1185), Acanna (1185), Andayya (1235), Mallikārjuna (1240), Nāgaraja, Kēsiraja, Madhura, Kumudendu, Bāhubali Pandita, Bhāskara and Nanjunda have noted the poetic excellence of Gajānikusa alias Gajaga.
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