________________
269
As lie finished one by one all these verses, the king one by one looked in the four directions and atlast sat at his feet. It meant that he had offered him the whole kingdom spreading in all the four directions. But the disinterested saint did not want it. Then the king with a great honour kept him in his kingdom Once, while the king went to the temple of siva, Siddhaséna who was with bim turned back from the doors. The king asked hin the reason. He said " Śiva would not be able to receive my homage ( Namaskāra )". The king was astonished, and he became eager to know why it was so! Siddhaséna atonce began to pray, and as soon as he recited the eleventh vjāthā of Kalyāņa Mandira, the Śiva Linga was broken off, and from it appeared the Pratimā of Avanti-Pārsvanātha! The news of this wonderful miracle spread over • many many countries. Thus Siddhaséna atoned and fulfilled the vow taken by him. As he had thus atoned, the Guru, agam, welcomed him in the Sangha and offered him the seat of an Acārya. He gave • Pratibodha' to Vikramāditya and through him he led a sangha to Satrunjaya and Girināra.
Siddhaséna's era was not Tarka.-Pradhāna, but was Āgama-Pradhāna. But, after the composition of Gautam's "Nyāya -Sūtra". Tarkavāda became prominent, and he was the best logician (Tärkiki) He was the founder of Jaina Tarka Šāstra, and was the first to compose a Tarka Prakarana' named “ Nyāyāvatāra ' in Sanskrit. Moreover, by translating "Sanmati Prakarana" a well-known Tarka-Grantha, into Prākrit-āryā verses—he rendered a unique service to Nyāyavāda.
Siddhaséna has composed thirty-two Dwātrinsikās from which twenty-one Batrishis are available even to day.
From his works it seemed that Siddhaséna was not merely a logician but was also a great Dārşanika (philosopher). Not only did he possess the knowledge of the three well-known Jainétara-(other than Jaina )-philosophies-Sankhya' Vaisesitha, and 'Bauddha,' but also was well-versed in Nyāya, Véda, Upani
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org