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gac'c'andraSuri tried to being about the up--liftment of the rites with the perinission of his Guru and with the help of Dévabhadra Upādliyāya wiio belonged to C'aitra Gac'cha. He accepted unique disinterestedness and purified rites as described in Agamas. Sonie say that inspite of the repeated defeat of the Digambaras, their liking for debate, was still alive in them, and therefore, he debated with 32 Digambara-priests in Āghätpur (the present Ahad near Udayapur) and achieved victory. Therefore, Jaitrasingh the King of Mevāda conferred on him the title of Hirală Jagac'c'andra Sūri. He had not only the deep knowledge of sciences, but he was a great ascetic practising penance. He accepted the penance of doing Ayambil for the whole life, and passed 12 years in this way. On this occasion, the same king gave him the second title Tapa', which means a real ascetic) and thence-forth i. e. from VS 1285 Nirgrantha (ac'cha got another name of Tapāgac'cha which exists even today. The great contribution that Tapa Gac'chha has given in the growth of Jainism is due to the able Pactadharas who happened to be in it. When Jagac'c'andraSuri came to Gujerat during the course of his journey, he was accorded a great reception by Vas. tupāla, and at the saine time he rendered him good help. Due to this the influence of Tapāgac'cha is greatest in Gujerat at present.
Vrūddha-Pausālika Tapägac'cha' started from Vijayac'andra who was the pupil of Sree Jagac'c'andra Sūri and who in his worldly life was the account-clerk of the minister Vastupāla and from Dévéndra Suri started 'Laghi-Pausālika-Tapa-gac'cha. VijayaC'andraSuri had been then rather indolent in the perfor mance of religious rites, while Dévèndra Suri had been the Pattadhara of purified rites and had well contributed to the welfare of Jainism. Jagac'c'andra, endowed with severe penance, pure inte lligence, extraordinary scholarship, and meritorious character was a wonderful personality.
देविदा पणयालो ४५,
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