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INTRODUCTION
21
which carries the oblation offered in accordance with the (scriptural) injunction, that (he) who performs sacrifice, those two (viz., the Sun and the Moon) which regulate time, that which possessing, as its attribute, the object of hearing (i.e., Sound) remains pervading the universe, that which is designated (by people) as the source of all seeds, and that by which the living (breathing) beings are endowed with life (breath)."
GUNARATNA SŪRI M. D. Desai mentions three Gunaratnas, all of whom were Jaina teachers (acaryas)."
(1) One Gunaratna belonged to the Kharargaccha group of the Svetāmbara Sect. He was a pupil of Sādhunandana and flourished in 1501 Vikrama Samvat (i.e., 1445 A. D.). He wrote a commentary on a text called şaşțiśataka.
(2) The second Gunaratna belonged to the Āgamagacchiya group. His teacher's name was not given. His pupil was Devaratna who wrote a book in 1513 A. D. Thus, this Gunaratna must belong to 1500 A, D. (see Desai's A Concise History of Jaina Literature in Gujarati, p. 523)
(3) The third Gunaratna was a pupil of Devasundara Suri of the Tapāgaccha group. He is the famous author of Kriyaratnasamuccaya, a book on Grammar. This text was written in 1468 Vikrama Samvat (1412 A. D.). The same Gunaratna wrote the well known commentary Şad-darśanasamuccaya-tikā, on Haribhadra's Şad-darśanasamuccaya.
The biography of this Gunaratna has been described in the poem called Gurvavali by Munisundara Sūri. (See Guravavalı, Śri-Jaina-Yośovijaya-granthamala-4, Bepares, 1905). The author of Gurvāvali, Munisundara Śüri was a contemporary of this Gunaratna. The account of Gunaratoa's life and works starts from p. 86 upto p. 89 of the printed text of Gurvavali. The colopbon of the text reads:
Śri-brhat-Tapagaccha-Śrz-Gurvavali brhati “ri-Munisundara-Sūri-krta" I quote below the following relevant verses : "sarva-vyäkaraṇāvadata-hrdayaḥ sahitya-satyasavo gambhiragamadugd hasındhulaharīpanaikapritabdhayah jyayojyotişanistuşaḥ pradadhatas Tarkeşu cūcāryakam vade te' tra jayanty aśeşa-viduşāms traivid ya-dar poşmalan/ 83 cakrus Tīku-salakam te Şad-darśanasamuccaye jñana-netrañanayeva satām tattvārthadarsinīms/88 uddhrtya ye vyakaranāmbu-vašito vilobhya buddhi-prasaramarādrina/ śuddha-Kriyaratnasamuccayam satam aścaryabhūtam vibudhalaye daduh/89"
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