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in N. V , the discussions sometimes fall to the level of mere lo. gical tricks employed for refuting a small argument related to a certain statement of agama. Ganadharas never went against the Jaina Canon; on the contrary they sponsored the movement of establishing its influence over the masses by dedacting the principles of preachings of śraman, Bhagavāna Mahavira into books. It was not so with Nzhnwas. Since they were prominent monks holding strong influence over the public, the Nihnavas actully propagated their wrongly-based theories among the dull -witted monks and defiled certain portions of the Gaccha, by dragging some of its members on their sides. Rohagupta and Sivabhiīti are the glaring instances of this type. In short, the tendency of being at perfect agreement with the preachidgs of Śramıņa Bhagavāna Mahāvīra signifies the character of Garrdha. ras; while that of being at disagreement with the same, either in part or in toto, reflects the character of Nihnavas,
The Author-His Life, Works, and Date
Life
Jinabhadaragaņı Ksamaśramana is the author of this splendid work. Very little is known about his life. Yet, there is no doubt that the author was a highly-esteemed scholar of his aget
He was the first Jaina writer and preacher who had consistently attemped to interprete and explain the principles of the Jaina Canon in such a manner as to appeal to the intellect of the people That is to say, he did not instruct his puplis or followers only in a tradional way without caring for the inner motive or spirit of the preachings. Though he preached the same old traditional principles of the Jaina Canon, he interpreted and
i Here are the tributes paid to him by several commentators:(i) fa afir Fatih ATHARI
___ य धूताज्जीतमुद्दधे शौरिः सिन्धोः सुधामिव ॥१॥
• Tilakācārya in his Āvasayaka Vritli.
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