Parshvabhyuday

Author(s): Jinsenacharya, M G Kothari
Publisher: Gulabchand Hirachand Doshi

Page 20

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Puspadanta, the author of the Mahāpurāņu, has referred to the Dhavala and the Jayadhavala of Acarya Virasena and Acārya Jinasena respectively in his Mahapurāņu. Acārya Virasena and his disciple Acārya Jinsena, therefore, must have belonged to the period prior to that of Puspadanta. He is not found to have referred to Acarya Gunabhadra, the worthy desciple of the worthy preceptor Acarya Jinasena. In my opinion, the Uttarapurāṇa was being written and was not completed when Puspadanta was engaged in composing his Mahāpurāņu. This is why, I think, Puspadanta could not have referred to the Uttarapurāṇa. This Uttarapurāṇa must have been commenced when king Amoghavarṣa was on the throne. Puspadanta is found to have referred to king Kṛṣṇarāja, who according to some scholars, was called Akālavarṣa. Acarya Ļokasena is found to have referred to this king in the Prasasti of the Uttarapurāņa. From this it can be inferred that Acarya Lokasena, and Puspadanta, the great poet, were contemporaries. Puspadanta has referred to Bharata, the noble minister, and his noble son, Nanna who had been serving king Akalavarṣa in the capacity of ministers. In my opinion, therefore, Puspadanta, Acārya Lokasena, king Akālavarṣa, ministers Bharata and Nanna must have been contemporaries.
Acārya Jinasena, the author of the Harivamśapuraṇa, is found in his work to have referred to Nanna, the son of Bharata, who used to build temples. As shown above, Puspadanta, Bharata, Nanna and others were contemporaries. At the time of the completion of the Harivamsapurāna king Kṛṣṇarāja alias king Akālavarṣa might not have been alive, for the author of the Harivamśapurāņa is found to have referred to him as the father and predecessor of king śri-Vallabha alias king Dhruvarāja who was then in power and ruling over the southern part of India. As in the year 705 of the Salivahana Saka era king Akalavarṣa and also Bharata, who is not referred to in the Harivamśapurāņa were not alive, they might have lived some years before the comple