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Amongst his many pupils there were two pupils named Hans & Paramhans, who were his sister's sons. They were very intelligent, & Haribhadra-Suri had high expectations of them. Once, Hans & Paramhans requested him to allow them to go to a well-known Buddhist monastery in order to study the weakpoints of Buddhism. Then, they could defeat the Buddhist monks in debate. Haribhadra-Suri did not approve Hans & Paramhans persisted & ultimately they secured his permission They went to the monastery disguised as Buddhist monks. Unfortunately, their secret was quickly revealed. They decided to leave the monastery in disguise. The Buddhist people were chasing them which ultimately resulted in the loss of their lives.
Haribhadra-suri was a prolific writer. He wrote 1444 religious books covering many aspects of Jainism. Unfortunately only about 170 of his books are presently available.
The commentaries on Dash Vaikalika-sutra,
Tattvartha-sutra, Pancha-sutra, & Avashyaka-sutra are among his well-known compositions. Moreover, he wrote Lalitvistara, Dharma Sangrahani, Upadeshapad, Shodashtaks, Dharmabindu. & Anekanta Jayapataka. He was probably the first Jain scholar to write on Yoga-Yogabindu, Yoga-vinshika, Yoga-shatak & Yogadrashti Samuchchayaare his compositions on Yoga. He will aiways be remembered for his valuable contribution to Jain literature.
GANDHARSACHARYAS
When Haribhadra-suri learned about the tragic fate of his nephews, he was furious & vowed to punish the Buddhist monks for their cruelty. He challenged them to a debate in the royal court with the stipulation that whoever lost would be put to death. Haribhadra-suri's violent reaction to his nephews' deaths saddened Guru Jinabhattasuri & Sadhvi Mahattara. Haribhadra-suri won the debate but Sadhvi Mahattara convinced him to abandon the idea of killing. Haribhadra-suri also realized that his undue attachment for Hans & Paramhans had led him to indulge in such a violent attitude. He therefore begged for atonement. Guru Jinabhatta-suri advised him to compose verses that would enlighten people to the right faith. This was another major turning point in his life.
The entire life of Haribhadara-suri depicts his keen desire for learning. Even though he was an established Brahmin scholar, he was humble enough to learn from a simple Jain Sadhvi. This is a great lesson in humility. One should not let pride come in the way of acquiring knowledge. Jain Agams describe the essence of jainism in a logical & convincing manner. A deep understanding of the Agams will lead one to practice the principles of jainism with more discipline
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