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In a city called Araha av ḍ in the Siroh kingdom lived a couple Hem bh of Osaw la caste who held the honourable post of Chaudhari and his virtuous and chaste wife r mat Gamg b. After long years of married life, they had a child on full moon day in the month of K rtika in Vikram 1482 (assiduous study of historical facts pushes the date back to Vikram 1472). Their happiness knew no bounds. Gamg b, who regularly practiced spiritual austerities like periodic self-contemplation (S m yika), ritualised confession, and resolutions not to commit faults (praty khy na), Pau adha etc., had increased the time of her practice after begetting a son. When the boy was 5 years old, they sent him to school in Araha av ḍ. Perspicacious Lokacandra started learning with fondness. His fondness and interest grew with the age, and at the age of 15, he completed studies at the local school.
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Lokacandra inherited spiritual and moral virtues from his parents. He used to go to behold sages and saints and listen to their sermons along with his mother when he was a child, and with his devout father when he became an adolescent. Even when he was a boy he learnt by heart, selfcontemplation (S m yika), Pratikrama a, devotional Stavanas, Stotras etc. He had good writing skills from childhood itself. He was such a staunch piety that at regular times, on a daily basis, he used to practice S m yika and during 'P k ika Parva' he used to be the first for evening ritualised confession. Whenever he found time he used to help his father in his business. During 'S m yika' practice, the time he spent on studying the scriptures increased gradually.
Chaudhari (merchant) r Hem bh was a distinguished wealthy merchant of Araha av ḍ. They had cows, buffaloes in their courtyard. Milk, curd, ghee, everything was in plenty. The word 'scarcity' was unknown to that wealthy family.
At the age of 15, as the radiant Lokacandra, with his heavy built body used to appear like a young man. Many alliances for marriage started pouring in from many merchants. By that time Hem bh had entrusted the written work of his business to his son, as his writing was very beautiful and the alphabets looked like pearls. Often Hem bh had to go to Siroh on some business related work. Initially he used to take his son along with him and introduce him to different merchants. When
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