Jain Legend Vol 4

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

Page 81

Dev with amity, to get her intelligent son initiated into rama a monkhood. When they were convinced that eventually Bāhada Devī would yield to their advice, they sent the message to Dharmadeva Up dhy ya, “Here we found an able worthy boy. We think that you too would be delighted to see him."
With the monsoon season coming to an end, r Dharmadeva Up dhy ya came directly to Dhavalakapura from his monsoon halt. He was thoroughly pleased to see the gifted boy who was completely up to his expectations. In Vikram 1141, at an auspicious time Dharmadeva Up dhy ya initiated the 9-year old boy into monkhood and gave him the ascetic name - Monk Somacandra. Making Sarvadevaga i guardian of the neophyte monk, he ordered him to guide the daily schedule, spiritual routine etc., of Municandra and to encourage him to perform them regularly at the prescribed times.
Monk Somacandra, travelling through many places along with his guardian r Sarvadevaga i, reached Pa a a. There arrangements were made for his studies. He started studying under Bh vad c rya.
Studying devotedly, monk Somacandra obtained proficiency in many texts on different subjects like Lak a Pamjik etc. Bhāvadācārya was in all admiration for Somacandra for his quick wit and brilliance. He used to feel that he is the best amongst all his disciples and compared him with 'Kast r'. Within a short time Monk Somacandra excelled in subjects like grammar, prosody, law, ethics etc. and started studying the scriptures. r Harisimh c rya systematically taught him all scriptures. After acquiring proficiency in scriptures, monk Somacandra took to his religious travel, preaching and promoting Jina doctrine. He engaged in uplifting himself and others. He progressed on the revolutionary spiritual path aimed at and commenced by Varddham na S ri, Jine vara Sri etal to uproot the influence of Temple dweller tradition. Shortly his fame spread far and wide like the fragrance of 'Kast r', as foretold by his preceptor. Listening to the glorious stories of Somacandra, the spiritual fondness of Devabhadr c rya (the one who appointed Jinavallabha Sri on c rya post) towards monk Somacandra increased in leaps and bounds.
The news of the sudden death of Jinavallabha Sri in Vikram 1167 during the late hours of night on 12th day of dark half of lunar month of
81