Jain Legend Vol 2

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

Page 295

have gained momentum for a short time. But it did not yield the expected permanent results.
c rya V addha Deva group- c rya
c rya S mantbhadra was succeeded by c rya V addha Deva, who was declared as the 17th group- c rya of the congregation. As he obtained the rank at a very late age, everyone called him V addha Deva S ri. He was considered as the ardent supporter of strict code of conduct.
c rya Pradhyotana group- c rya
c rya V ddha Deva was followed by attained heaven in V.N. 698.
crya Pradhyotana S ri. He
c rya M na Deva group- c rya
Group- c rya M na Deva became the successor of the congregation after
c rya Pradhyotana S ri. He was very renowned for his practice of detachment and penance. There is seldom a person in the Jain community, who is not acquainted with the glory of c rya M na Deva.
His father Dhane wara was a distinguished merchant of N daula Nagar and his mother was Dh ri Dev . As he was their only son, the parents named him as M na Deva. Once, crya Pradhyotana, giving sermons and wandering through the places, reached N daula. Fortunately M na Deva got the opportunity to listen to his preaching of detachment towards worldly life. M na Deva felt very happy and was attracted towards the ascetic life. He expressed his desire to renounce the world to
c rya. M na Deva managed to get the permission of his parents, with great difficulty. He took initiation into rama a Dharma at an auspicious moment and with humility and sincerity started acquiring knowledge, besides practicing severe austerities and penance with utmost concentration. Within a short period of time, he learnt and mastered the eleven Amga Stras, Mula, Cheda and Up mga Stras i.e., all Jain scriptures.
The Guru, believing M na Deva to be worthy, wanted to appoint him as the crya of the congregation. All the same, he worried whether M na
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