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Kumarapala was very brave and valorous; patient and self-abuegating, very clever and liberal. He made conquests everywhere and established his reputation as a great and ideal ruler.
King's Longing to know the True Religion-Once king Kumárapála called an assembly of his learned men and asked their advice regarding the best religion to be followed which would make one's life the most happy. These learned men being Brahmins naturally extolled the merits of the Vedic religion which consisted of sacrifices and ceremonial rituals. The King, knowing that sacrifices involved slaughter of animals, could not be convinced of the merits of this religion. This made him dissatisfied and increased his desire to know the true religion. Thereupon on one occasion one of his ministers, Báhada, by name, approached the king and requested him to listen to what he would tell him if the King really desired to know what the true religion was. The Minister Báhada then gave him the following information about Hemachandra-súri, the Jain preceptor.
Account of Hemachandra's Early Life:-There was formerly a precep tor, by name Shri Datta-suri, belonging to the Gachhcha, called "Purnatalla." Once while travelling he came to a place, called Rayanapura, in Wagada country, where iuled at that time a king by name Yashobhadra. This king began to listen to religious discourses of Shri Datta-sûri. Dattasûri after some time left that place and went elsewhere. Afterwards King Yashobhadra lost all attachment for worldly life, renounced the kingdom, and went in search of Datta-sûri. Datta-sûri was at that time in a place, called "Dinduánápura***. The king built there a large Jain temple by name "Chauvisa-Jinalaya," and himself took holy orders and became a disciple of Datta-suri. Then he performed various austerities and made a deep study of the Shastras and finally attained the position of an "Áchárya”, or preceptor, under the name of "Yashobhadra-sûri". Yashobhadra-suri went on touring in various places preaching religion to people. At last having become old in age and decrepit in body he went to the "UjjayantaTirtha" (i. e. Girnár), and there after observing a fasting-vow gave up his body. He had a disciple by name Pradyumna-sûri, who wrote a work entitled "Thánaya-Pagarana" (or "Sthánaka-Prakarana"). He again had a disciple Gunasena-sûri by name and the latter had Devchandra-suri as his disciple, who wrote a commentary on "Thánaya-Pagarana" of Pradyumnasûri and also wrote the work "Shanti-Jina-Charitra."
This Devachandra, while travelling, once came to a place by name Dhandhuká. There a young brilliant boy named Changadeva, son of the parents Chachch and Chahinî of the Modha Bania community, began to
*The auther, Somaprabháchárya, at this place remarks that that "Chauvisa-Jinálaya" exists even to-day i. e. in his time at Dinduánápura.
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