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Introduction)
According to the Chandraprabha-Charitra-Prashasti of Haribhadra sūri (Ms. at Pāțaņ), Pșthvipāla erected a big lovely Maņdapa ( in this shrine ) with figures of his ancestors riding on elephants. The relevant passage is as under :
ता अब्बुयगिरिसिरि नेढ-विमलजिणमंदिरे करावे । मंडयमइन्वजणयं मज्झे पुणो तस्स । विलसिरकरेणुयाणं सवंसपुरिसुत्तमाण मुत्तीओ। विहिउं च संघभत्ति बहुपुत्थय-वत्थदाणेण ॥1
Obviously, this refers to the erection of the Hastishāla in front of the Vimala. Vasahī. Now, in his MallināthaCharitra-Prashasti, the same author replaces greit gott for a gott af in the above verse. This reading would show that Pșthvīpāla erected a very beautiful Maņdapa in the shrine and a Hastishālā in front of it. Another work Neminātha-Chariu, also composed by this author, but in the Apabhramsha, contains a Prashasti at the end, eulogising the family of Pșthvīpāla and giving us the same type of historical data as the other two Prashastis in Prakrit. A manuscript of this work is preserved in the Jaina collections at Jesalmer. Here the author says: तेण अब्बुयगिरिहिं सिरिविमलनिम्माविय जिणभवणि असमरूवु मंडवु कराविवि तसु पुरउ करेणुगय सत्त मुत्ति पुव्वयह ठाविवि ।'
1 A Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Jaina Bhāņdāras at Pātan, Vol. I. (G. O. Series no. LXXVI), pp. 255-6.
2 Manuscript at Pāțan.
1 I am thankful to Agama - Prabhākara Muni Shri Punyavijayaji for this reference.
It seems likely that originally the elephant - riding figures of the seven ancestors of Pșthvipāla were not enclosed in a roofed -hall as at present and were possibly installed in the open. This certainly presented a more impressive sight.
