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LXVIII : SĀRĀVALĪ-PRAKĪRṆAKA
It is also clear that the present Sārāvalī Prakīrṇaka has been at the root of the literature pertaining to Śatruñjaya tīrtha. In the later period abundant literary works, highlighting the glory and importance of Śatruñjaya tīrtha were composed but it is not possible to mention all of them here. Now, we shall discuss the origin and development of this place of pilgrimage from the historical perspective.
The works such as Śatruñjaya Kalpa, etc. are based on
traditional belief and folklore. It is believed that the Jainas had registered their presence in the Saurastra region of western India during the time of the first Lord Prophet, Bhagvan Ṛsahadeva. In the traditional lore connected with this tirtha, there is a mention that all the Lods Prophets, starting from Bhagvan Rsabhadeva, had visited there. Also, the origin of this tīrtha is attributed to the attairment of spiritual emancipation, here, by Pundarika the grandson and the first principal disciple (Ganadhara) of Bhagvan Rsabhadeva. Not only this, but also that this tīrtha has been associated with the liberation of almost all the ancient and famous characters like Rāma, five Pandavas and their mother Kunti, many Yadavas, etc. However, all this is not history but myth. It is very difficult to prove these claims historically. It is true that this region was connected with the twenty-second Prophet Arista Nemi and Śrī Krsna, and the Girnar hill is famous on account of them only. We have, to rest content by accepting this also as a prehistoric truth as no historically verifiable proofs are availabe to support it. Even then it is a historical fact that the Saurastra region was well established as a strong center of Jaina faith by the first century AD and Valabhi had become the hub of Jaina activities. Two famous Jaina conclaves of the Jaina monks of the western and southern India to recite recover and standardise the
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