Jain Journal 1971 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 22

JAIN JOURNAL
undertook the trek of many towns and villages preaching the tenets of religion and getting erected Jaina temples at many places. One of his great acts was the acquisition of a site from the ruler of Ajmer for the construction of a temple and a residential abode for the monks. Another of his great acts was the recovery of important scriptures from the Tower of Victory at Chitor where these had been preserved by one Vajrasvami who was obliged to take this step for want of a suitable successor. Successive Acāryas had tried for their recovery but to no effect. By using his great spiritual power, Jinadatta Suri however, was successful in this great task. There are many stories current about his occult power by dint of which he could not only mobilise and put to use some of the supernatural forces, he could even restrain them when they were hurled against him. There goes thus a legend of his having hypnotised 64 Yoginis who had come to disturb him in his meditation. Many of his followers were not only spiritually uplified, quite a number of them including outsiders were relieved of their earthly distress by his grace. But above all must be placed his acts for the propagation of the Jaina faith, to which he acquired many converts, and there may be quite a number of lay Jainas in the Kharatara gaccha whose forefathers were induced into the Jaina order by Jinadatta Suri. There goes the story of a great epidemic at Vikrampur which was taking a heavy toll. Jinadatta readily brought it under check, thereby winning as his followers all the inhabitants of that town. In this way, he added to the numerical strength of the Jaina order, which proved to be a source of strength for the organisation at a later period when the Muslim invasion of India started. If the organisation could withstand and survive the coming tide of Islam, not a small credit was due to this spiritual leader. His superhuman ability was not only used to build up the organisation and win converts, he made important contributions which were written in Prakrit, Apabhramsa and Sanskrit languages. These were either commentaries or praises of the past masters. In V.S. 1211 he discarded his mortal frame at Ajmer through the usual Jaina practice of fasting. Ten years later, at this place where his mortal remains were consecrated to fire, his able disciple Jinacandra Suri got erected an alter (stūpa) in sacred memory of his master. Since then at many places in India shrines and alters have been dedicated to him, linking this seniormost grand-pa with subsequent generations of men to this day.
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Manidhari Jinacandra Suri
Manidhari Jinacandra Suri was born at Vikrampur near Jaisalmer in V.S. 1197(A.D. 1141) and was marked pretty early for his discipleship by no less a personage than the seniormost Grand-pa. This was done during his monsoon halt in that city, though the formal ceremony