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INTRODUCTION
created the Sanmati-tarka.
horses? is
certainly
the author of
Now these two facts — that of Siddhasena being well. known as the creator of horses and that of Sanmati being well-known as a work adding to the glory of Jainism - lead us to the inference beyond doubt that Siddhasena lived before Jinadāsa. But then the question arises as to whether Siddhasena was a contemporary of Jinabhadra or lived a little prior to Jinabhadra, or lived long before him. Siddhasena and Jinabbadra though both of great scholars, belonged to rival schools. Jinabhadra was cele. brated as a guardian of Jaina tradition and a scholar of Jaina scriptures, while Siddhasena was well-known as a person who translated the Jain scriptures into Saṁsksta, and was a great logician who started the new school, Jinadāsa being a writer of Curņis, the literature based on scriptures, has a natnral tendency towards the scriptures. Now this Jinadāsa mentions Siddhasena who belonged to the rival school as a scholar of a very high order. It means, therefore, that Siddhasena could not have been a contemporary of Jinabhadra but must have lived long before him. There must have been such a wide gulf of time between these two scholars differing from each other on fundamental points as to create a high respect in the mind of Jinadāsa about the works and personality of Sidd hasena. Looking to those times and to the narrow sectarian outlook that was then rampant, it
1 P. O.: Vžddhavādi-Prabandha : verse 167, 168 contains a sugestion of Siddhasena's baving created an army.
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