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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
fio
7. GAŅAYA-DIAŅAYA-INDRAJALI-PRABANDHA
The very first incident of this prabundha is one of the very significant historical events of the reign ol jay usimti a Siddhar å ja viz. the grcat dialectical dispute between the Svetambara and the Digambara sects of the Jainas. The Svelambura leadler was the great pontiff Deva sūri of Gujarăta, thc preceptor of Kulikalusarvajšia Hema candrasuri, while the leader of the Digambaras was Kumuda candra, the great pontift from Karnataka. The contest took place in the court of Jaya - simha, the king himself being in the chair. It is stated to have occurred on the full-moor day of the month of Paisakha in the year 18: V.S. - 1125 A.D).
It continued for sixteen days, one of the main problems of contest being wliether women were eligible for salvation. Devasūri contended that they were, possessing as they did the 'satira'. Along witlthe examples of ancient paragons of chastity he advanced the contemporary illustration of May a naIlädevī, the king's mother. This contest resulted in the total defcat of the Diyamuuras as a consequence wliereol the Svetämbaras grew very power. ful, and it was probably due to this victory that Devasori began to be called Vadi Devasúri.
This Monunitutal incident was immortalised by Yå Śaś candra, at contemporary post, wo composed a drama called Murtulsomducandraprakarna, its main theme being this contest. Thereafter it was Jescribed in such other works as the Pralkuvakacarite (1277 A.D.) and the Prabanthacitamani ( 1305 4.0). 1. In our prabandha the whole incident is not narrated but it is mentione vniy as a back-ground to tlie main story.
Other persutrages mentioned in this connection are Jižniky a, Mala ya catdra and Pradyumnas ūci. Maniky a, a disciple of Deva siri, is also mentioned in Mudrilakusmutacandra-prakaraita as one of the participants of the contest. He is not known from other sources as a prontinent personage. He cannot be identified with Mániky a cardra suri of the Rajagaccha, the author of the first commentary on Ma m maga's Kavyaprakasa known as Saliketu (V. S. 1216) and a contemporary of Vastupila. The short conversation between Kumudacandra and Maniky a candra is given in a slightly different manner
+ Vide Prabrāvakaçarila of Prabhācandra (1277 A.D.), pp. 278–296.
Vide PC, p. 67-68; Sāpesará 13. J.: Mahasa-#i kedi (in Gujarāti). p. 52.
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