Jain Journal 2003 10

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

Page 25

DR. M. JALENDIRAN :ĀCĀRYA PŪJYAPĀDA AND THIS WORKS
Nāgārjuna who had been victim of wicked activities came to the house and demanded his mother to give something to sell and to earn money. Kamalini told him that there was nothing except the iron plate which was put into fire with the infusion of mantra power by his maternal uncle Pūjyapāda and also she told him that the plate should be placed into fire for twentyfour hours according to instruction.
Nāgārjuna very much in fear rushed to the spot of the fire removed the plate and drenched it into the water. For him it is surprise, that the plate is changed into gold but of lesser carat.
Nāgārjuna asked his mother where Pūjyapāda stayed. His mother did not know where exactly Pūjyapāda was staying and so she could not tell him the dwelling place of Ācārya Pūjyapāda. However, with a determination, Nāgārjuna rushed out from the house and wandered. Finally, he reached the dwelling place of Ācārya Pūjyapāda. Pūjyapāda being entreated very much gave Padmāvatī mantra to him. Chanting with devotion one could get the power for preparing Siddharasa.
Nāgārjuna got the siddhi or supernatural power and with great greediness he tried to turn every piece of metal and it is stated that he wanted to turn the small hill Malayagiri situated nearby Chāmarāja Nagar, Mysore District, into gold and but he could not achieve the same and so he was disappointed. Thereafter he took Buddhist monk's life.
On the basis of the above mentioned story, the following points are worth mentoning here.
1. Ācārya Pūjyapāda is a contemporary of Pāṇini-the most celebrated grammarian who lived in not latter than 6th century A.D.
2. Ācārya Pūjyapāda is the maternal uncle of Nāgārjuna, a great Buddhist logician, who lived in somewhere about 6th or 7th century A.D.
3. The above mentioned story contains the life events of Dēvanandi-Pūjyapāda, but we cannot take it historically as true in its entireity. Usually, life events of most of the Jaina Ācāryās are rarely traced. Therefore, to give the life sketch of Dēvanandi-Pūjyapāda further evidences are very much needed.