Jain Journal 2005 04

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

Page 13

172
JAIN JOURNAL: VOL-XXXIX, NO. 4 APRIL. 2005
It seems that Vardhanakunjara of Jaina tradition and Tāranātha's Pūrņavardhana is one and inentical person and this Pūrņavardhana who was a great scholar and a reputed author had the misfortune of being defeated by Jaina Ācārya Bappabhațțisūri.
The notion that there was no Buddhist scholar bearing such name as Vardhanakunjara needs rectification. In fact, Pūrņavardhana of Tāranātha's account and Vardhanakunjara of the Jaina writers was the same person, figuratively the Buddhist scholar was so-called by the Jainas.
In conclusion, it is to be stated that whatever might be the name of the Buddhist disputant and whether Vardhanakunjara and Pūrņavardhana was the same person or not, there is no denying the fact that a religious debate did really occur between a Buddhist scholar and Bappabhațți in which the latter triumphed. This event proves the existance of a fair number of Jainas in ancient Bengal and Bappabhasți's triumph boosted up the morale of this Jaina community. It is for the sake of Jaina community of Bengal that Bappabhațți overstayed in the Kingdon of Gauda (declining the overtures from king Ama) and not for the hospitality and respect shown to him by Dharmapāla.
In fact, the long sojourn of Bappabhațți to Bengal, the vain but bold claim of conversion of Dharmapāla to Jaina faith, the discomfiture of a Buddhist scholar in a religious debate all these facts unerringly point to the vigorous existence of the Jaina community in an age when Buddhism was in resurgence in Bengal.
ernational
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