Jain Journal 1996 01

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

Page 27

88
JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXX, No. 3. January 1996
banned the slaughter of the cows. A religious discussion was held there with some Telang Bhaṭṭa Pandits who were defeated. The Sūriji returned back to Bijapur. The large scale religious activites of the Sūriji had greatly affected the political circles also. The ruler of the place agreed to release all the prisoners from the Jail.17
In the south Devicand and Caturā Bāi had actively assisted the Sūriji. These activities had widely increased the prestige of Sūriji also in Gujarat. He remained in the Deccan upto VE 1701 as is proved from the colophon of a MS of Vagbhaṭṭālankāra (Cāṇasmā Bhandar) mentioning that the Sūriji was then at Aurangābād 18 and in VE 1701 he was present at Sahapur (Deccan).
(C) GUJARĀT
As already stated, Vijayadeva Sūri was born at Idar and therefore, the people of that place had much affection for him. When he went there, Rão Kalyan Mal also came to receive him. The Jain Sangha performed celebrations. Sahajū Sāha, a minister of the state, requested the Sūriji to nominate some monks as his successor, as he wanted to organise a function there. The Sūriji avoided it. When he was in Idar, Ratnasimha Pārakh of Sāblī appeared before him and requested to visit his town, as slaughtering of animals at a large scale was common there. The Süriji went there and got the Thakur agreed to stop the slaughtering of animals. The Sūriji came to Idar after some years in VE 1682, when the Śreṣṭhi Sahajú celebrated the festivities of nominating Yuvaraja to Vijayasimha Sūri on Besakh Sudi 6 VE 1682. In VE 1705 again the Sūriji visited Idar to consecrate the Jain temple built at Ranamal and Cowki of the place. 18A
The Sūriji visited Ahmedābād, Pātan and other towns of Gujarāt occasionally and did cāturmāsa also there. While comimg from Mewar in VE 1684, he spent some years in Gujarat and also visited Śatrunjaya and other places. 19 From the mount of Śatruñjaya, a good number of epigraphs from VE 1670 to 1710 have been noted. In VE 1670, he consercrated the Parikar of Adinatha installed by Santidāsa and others of Ahmedabad. The inscriptions of VE 1675, 1676 and 1677 are
17. Ibid.
18. Amṛtalāl Maganlal Saha-Prasasti-Sangraha pp. 212.
18A, Meghavijaya op. cit. pp. 137-138.
19. Acārya Kaṇakasagara Sūri and Pramoda Sagara Sūri, Śatruñjaya Giriraja - Darsana Ins. No 45, 57, 59, 71, 87, 89, 312, 410 and other last pages.