________________ by Pradyumnasuri, pupil of Kanakaprabha, who was a pupil of Muni Devananda. The Prasasti does not mention the date of the composition of the mahakavya. His Kalikacaryakatha, too, is undated. But the age of the author may be inferred from the known dates of the personages associated with him. Raviprabha is known to have written Silabhavanavytti in V. E. 1229 (1172-73 A. C.). Narendraprabhasuri mentioned in the Prasasti seems identical with Narendraprabhasuri, the pupil of Naracandrasuri, who is well-known as the preceptor of Mahamatya Vastupala (V. E 1276 to 1296 = 1220-1240 A. C.) on his maternal side. Narendraprabhasuri wrote Alankaramahodadhi in V. E. 1282 (1225-26 A. C.), while Naracandrasuri expired in V. E 1287 (1230-31 A. C.). Pradyumnasuri wrote Samaradityasamksepa in V. E. 1324 (1267-68 A. C.) and Pravrajyavidhana-mulasuddhi in V. E. 1338 (1281-82 A. C.). The author is also known to have edited Dharmavidhivytti written by Udayasimhasuri at Candravati in V. E. 1286 (1229-30 A. C.). From these data the literary activities of Acarya Vinayacandra may be assigned to the thirteenth century A. C., preferably in the second (and third ) quarters of the century. This period witnessed the reign of the Caulukya kings Bhimadeva II (upto 1242 A. C.), Tribhuvanapala (1242-1244 A. C.), Visaladeva (1244-1262 A. C.) and Arjunadeva (1262-1275 A. C.). The literary circle of Mabamatya Vastupala (1220-1240 A. C.) accordingly seems to have included Acarya Vinayacandra. From the known places of the persons associated with hina Vinayacandra seems to have flourished in Gujarat. The geographical references made in Pariccheda III corroborate this assumption. Acarya Vinayacandra, the author of Malli svamicarita and Kavyasiksa is sometimes identified with Vinayacandra, the author of Kalpanirukta (dated V. E. 1325). Dipalikakalpa (dated V. E. 1345 ), Munisuvratacarita, Neminathacatuspadika and Uvaesamalakahanaya-chapaya, but Acarya Vinayacandra, the pupil of Raviprabhasuri, is obviously distinct from his namesake who was the pupil of Ratnasimhasuri. As the latter seems to be a junior contemporary of our author, he is mistaken to be identical, but the confusion cannot hold good any longer. The Author's indebtedness to earlier scholars : The author makes express references to several authors and works. Sometimes he quotes from certain works without specifying the source. Among the several scholars referred to by him expressly or impliedly,
