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& faith. The various compositions of Haribhadra-suri are very precisious & help us gain a better understanding of this very complex but well-defined & logical religion.
for the child for the good of the people at large. Finally, Pahini surrendered & gave her son to the Acharya. He initiated Changdevinto Jain monkhood & renamed him Somchandra.
Acharya
IACHANDRA
OA in 108
Somchandra was very intelligent & very quickly mastered various philosophies, logic, scriptures, Nyaya, grammar, & more.
Simultaneously, he cultivated excellent charya Hemchandra was born virtues like forbearance, tolerance,
V in 1088 A.D. in the Modha Vanik holiness, simplicity, discipline, chastity, & (merchant) caste in the town Dhandhuka, generosity. Somchandra was incomparable sixty miles from the city of Amdavad in in administration & efficiency. Acharya Gujarat State, India. His parents were Devasuri made Somchandra an Acharya Chachinga & Pahini. While Pahini was
when he was only 21 years old & called
him Hemchandracharya. pregnant. she had a beautiful dream. She narrated her dream to Jain Acharya
Thefameof Hemchandras knowledge Devasuri who was in Dhandhuka at that gradually spread everywhere. A higher time. The Acharya predicted that Pahini & noble form of culture was established would give birth to a son who would make due to the efforts of Hemchandra & the great progress in the areas of spiritual cooperation of King Siddharaj of Gujarat. knowledge, conduct, & logic. When her
When King Siddharaj died, Kumarpal son born, she named him Changdev.
succeeded him. King Kumarpal &
Hemchandracharya were to enjoy a life The next time Acharya Devasuri was long relation of teacher & disciple. The in Dhandhuka, he saw Pahini carrying her seeds of this spiritual relation had already son. He said to Pahini. "Let me take care been sown. Acharya Hemchandra had of this brilliant son. He has the potential of predicted seven years back that Kumarpal being a great spiritual leader."Pahini refused would become king & he had once saved to relinquish her son to him. The Acharya the future king's life. Kumarpal considered
persisted & reminded herthatHemchandra his spiritual teacher (Guru) her son would become a & benefactor & gave him exceptional famous monk & would honour. Kumarpal sought Hemehandra's glorify the Jain order.
advice in shaping his kingdom, & in a very He requested her short time Gujarat became a center of to sacrifice
non-violence, learning, & good culture. self-interest
In his efforts, Hemchandra did not & love
think of the development of his own career
GANDHARS ACHARYAS
95
