________________
Introduction
CCIL sūri (pp. 279 and 295 ) and was first given the name of Ramachandra. Rāmachandra soon mastered 'Tarka, Lakshaņa and Sāhitya, became a touch-stone in the current schools of philosophy - his own and those of others :
तर्कलक्षणसाहित्यविद्यापारगतः स च ।
Bpara FAQTFAK adina *1935: II c ll' (p. 280). : Then Rāmachandra began his career as a dialectician. In Dholaka he defeated a dialectician named Bandha of the Sivādvaita school (v. 39 p. 280 Pr. ch. ). According to the M. K. C., however, it was Munichandrasūri - Devasūri's guru – who defeated the Saiva dialectician who is described there as surpassing both Brhaspati and Şukráchārya (p. 17 v. 10). It may be that Devasūri might have taken prominent part in helping his guru in the debate with this powerful Saivādvaita dialectician.
The Pra. Cha., then, refers to Devasūri's meeting Kasmirasăgara in Satyapura ( or Sachor in Marwada), Guņachandra the Digambara in Nāgapura (or Nagor in Marawada), Sivabhūta [ °ti ) of the Bhāgavata school in Chitrakūta (or Chitod), Gangādhara in Gopagiri (or Gwalior ), Dharanidhara in Dhārā, Padmākara in Pushakariņī and Kệshņa - the leader of Brāhmaṇasin Bhrgukshetra (p. 210 vs. 39 - 41 ). How much of this statement is historical – we cannot say, as we have no other corroborative evidence. But the defeat of Guņachandra the Digambara is corroborated by the M. K. C. (pp. 16 & 25 ). According to the play, this debate was held in the court of Arņorāja of Sapādalaksha whose protégé the play-wright Yaşaschandra was. This event took place before his famous debate
32
iolentician
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org