Jain Journal 1992 07

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

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Kheta and Lakha and died there in VE 1461.24 Jinvardhan Süri succeeded him in Mewär. He travelled in eastern India and made several lay-followers at Jonpur (U.P.) and other towns. Several copies of illustrated Kalpa-Sutras were made. The consecration ceremony of the Cintamani-Parsvanath temple at Jaisalmer was done in VE 1473 by him. More than 50 inscriptions on different devakulikäs of the above dates are still available there.25 On a suspicion that the fourth-vrata (celibacy) has been violated by him he was removed from the Acaryaship. The charges levelled against him seem to be ficticious. He was quite an old man. However the whole Kharatar-gaccha Sangha was spilt into two parts in VE 1473. The followers of Jinvardhan Suri formed a new gaccha known as Pippalika-gaccha, which had a stronghold in Mewar. The entire Jaisalmer and other Sangha inducted Jinbhadra Suri as new Acarya. Even the Ranka family whose religious activities were performed by Jinvardhan Sūri forsook his following. We do not find any mention of Jinvardhan Süri in the colophon of Kalpa-Sutra-Sandeh-Viṣausadhi Vṛtti dated VE 1497 got prepared by the above family."
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JAIN JOURNAL
Jinbhadra Suri who was made an Acarya at Jaisalmer in place of Jinvardhan Süri, was a powerfull and able Acarya. He established Jñan Bhaṇḍārs at Jaisalmer, Jalore, Devagiri, Nagaur, Cittor, Jawar and many other places. He also brought several palm-leaf and other MSS from Khambhat and kept these at Jaisalmer. He got several MSS copied at Jaisalmer including the Nava-Tatva-Prakarana dated VE 1499. Thereafter he mostly concentrated his activities in Jaisalmer. The construction of Sambhavanath temple was started under his instructions by the Copra family which was completed in VE 1497. He widely travelled and also got several Jain temples built at Cittor, Mandu, Jawar and other places. Several icons and paṭṭas were also installed in the Jain temples of Jaisalmer. A paṭṭa now preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London has many Rajasthani motifs and figures of Ganesa and other Hindu deities. It was consecrated by Jinbhadra Suri, but the place name is not given. The author believes that it was prepared at Jaisalmer.27 It was
24 The Vijnaptilekh was edited by Muni Jinvijay. It mentions the festivities arranged in Kareri-Parsvanath temple in VE 1431. At that time Mewar state was very active and several Jain families lived there.
25 History of Jaisalmer by the author, pp. 163-164.
26 The Kalpa-Sutra-Sandeh-Viṣausadhi Vitti was completed by the Ranka family in VE 1497. It is now in Jaisalmer Bhandar (Punyavijay, The Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit MSS in Jaisalmer Bhandar, Ahmedabad 1972), p. 97.
27 The author's paper published in the Sodh Patrika and History of Jaisalmer. pp. 132.