Jain Legend Vol 3

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

Page 12

importance; translation in Hindi and Sanskrit and giving editorial comments as required was also completed successfully by r Rathod under the able guidance of great scholar c rya r Hast Malaj M.S.
Besides this holy text, we also found information of significant historical importance from other important holy texts, such as, Mah Ni tha, Sandoha Doh val, Samgha Pa aka, gama A ottar and Samgha Pa aka k Bh mik . From these texts we could analyse clearly how schism in Mah v ra's congregation and its fundamental rama a tradition took place along with the activities of these newly established sects / sub-sects. From the details provided in these texts, we also came to know how great rama as opposed powerfully and forcefully these newly created pervert traditions and expressed their sharp criticisms for them and their activities. One of such principal scholar c rya, namely, Abhaya Deva Sri, who expressed his views against these traditions effectively in the following verse, cannot be ignored by us in this context.
Devaddhi kham sama aj param param bh vao viya emi
Siļhil y re haviy davvao parampar bahuh
i.e. 'I know that till Devardhiga i K am rama a, there was a tradition of spiritual tradition but after him, the lax-monks started schism in Mah v ra's Dharma congregation creating many pervert traditions.'
These comments and writings of an influential c rya of that period like Abhaya Deva Sri expressing his soul touching pains, shed light on the pervert traditions which came into vogue in Mah v ra's congregation at that time. In this tradition of such influential c ryas, the name of Lok ha is widely respected as the last person who brought back the original tradition of Mah v ra's congregation in practice.
The influence and the activities of these pervert traditions extended to entire India; but their prime centres of influence were Saura ra, Kaccha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Prade a, and northern India as our current research was primarily done in these parts of the country
What was the situation in southern India? On research, we found that southern India continued to be a far more influential centre of Jainism for
12