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Paramātma-Prakasa
our author. Jayasen' e onged to c. second half of the 12th century A.D. 1 So Brahmadeva is later than 12th century. To conclude from these external and internal evidences, Brahmadeva is later than Somadeva (959 AD.), king Bhoja of Dhārā (A.D. 1018-60) and Jayasena (c. 12th century). So Brahmadeva2 might be tentatively put in the 13th century A.D.3
3. Maladhare Balacandra and his Kannada Commentary
Extract from the Commentary and its Authorship-The Ms. P, which is described below in Section IV, contains an exhaustive commentary in Kannada on the dohās of P. prakāša. I give below the opening portion of the commentary with some corrections :
nirupamacaritana vyaya-narujananadyamtanamalanätmasukha
karanadvaitanaghakşaya-karanarhaṁ nelasugěnna hștsarasijado!!! śri Yögimdra-dễvar madida Paramätmaprakāśam ěmba dohe cchandada gramthakke šri Brahmaděvar mādida Sanskītada vșttiyan nodiyapratibuddha-bõdhanartham Karnata-vșttiyam pelvě, gramtha-kartāram gramihada modaloļu istadēvutanamaskāramam māduttam ömdu dõheya sūtramam peldaparul 1 J2 jāya jhānaggiyue' etc. The concluding portion runs thus: sõ' haměmdimtu jagattraya kalatrayado?u kāya văn-mana-karanatraya-suddhiyim niscaya nayadimdella jiyamgaļumimtu niramtaram bhāvaněyam mādi padaüděmbudu šri Yögimdradevarabhiprayam || sri Kurkkuțāsana4 Maladhare Balacandradēva sthtram jiyat | From these extracts it is clear that this Kannada commentary is mainly based on Brahmadeva's Vitti, that there is sufficient reason to believe that Bālacandra is its author and that he styles himselí as Kukkuțāsana Maladhāre perhaps to distinguish himself from earlier and contemporary Bālacandras.
Comparison with Brahmadeva's Commentary-Balacandra plainly tells us that he composed this gloss to enlighten the unenlightened by consulting Brahmadeva's commentary. This frank admission shows that he has 1 See my Intro. to Pravacanasära, pp. 101-4. 2 One Brahmadeva of Mülasangha and Sürastagana is mentioned in an inscription of
1142 A D. (Epigraphia Carnatica IV, Nāgamangala 94). There is no sufficient evidence to identify this Brahmadeva, with our commentator. The same name is often borne
by many Jaina authors and monks. 3 In his commentary on Dravyasamgraha 49, Brahmadeva refers to a Pancanamaskara
grantha, of 12 thousand slõkas. I have not got any information about this work, Javaharlal, however, reads the name as Pañcanamaskāra Mahātmya; he attributes its authorship to Simhanandi, a Bhattāraka of Malava country; and he takes this Simhanandi as the one who was a contemporary of Srutasagara c. at the close of 15th century A.D. On the basis of this line of arguments Jawaharlal puts Brahmadeva at the close of the 15th century AD. (or in his own words about the middle of the 16th century Vikram era). This date is now invalidated by the fact that the Jesalmere Ms. of Dravyasamgraha-vrtti of Brahmadēva is written in 1428 A.D. Javaharlal gives no authorities for some of his facts; and I think, there must have been
some confusion in handling them. 4 Ms. reads Kurkkutasana.
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