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śramaņa, Vol 58, No. 2-3/April-September 2007
only by the Emperor Akbar Jalaluddin but also by the Emperor Jahangir Nuruddin, and the latter further invested him with the title of 'Nadira-Jaman' (the unique of the age).** This conferring of title to Siddhicandra by the Emperor Jahangir is supported by a manuscript copy of the colophon, date Vikram Samvat 1711, as seen in 'LekhaLikhan-Paddhati' which was written at the time of Jahangir, to whom he attributes the conferring of the title 'Khush-faham' on the JainMonk Siddhicandra and also the conferment of the title 'Nadir-iZamana' on the said monk. 39
___इति महाराजाधिराजपादशाह - श्रीअकब्बरजल्लालदीनसूर्यसहस्रनामाध्यापक श्रीशनुंजयतीर्थंकर-विमोचनगोवधनिवर्त्तनाद्यनेकसुक्कतविनिर्मापकमहोपाध्यायश्रीभानुचन्द्रगणिशिष्ययुगपट्टोत्तरशतावधान- साधनप्रमदितपादशाहश्रीअकब्बरजलालदीन पादशाह श्रीजहांगीर नूरुद्दीनप्रदत्तखुश्फहमनादिरजमां द्वितीयामिधानमहोपाध्यायश्रीसिद्धिचन्द्रगणिविरचितालिखनिखनपद्धतिः समाप्ता ।
लिखितीय' विद्यायुरे सं० १७११ वर्षे (११)
All these evidences show that Bhānucandra and Siddhicandra has intimate relations with the Emperor Jahangir; especially Siddhicandra's talent, intellect, repartee and physical handsomeness attracted Jahangir, which took the form of a fast friendship.
It is sad about Siddhicandra that once thirty two thieves at Burhanpur were at the point of being put to sword, when Siddhicandra obtained an imperial-farman and saved all of them from being put to death. Similarly, many nobles were saved from punishments. Jayadasa and Appo Lad Banias who were sentenced to be trampled under the feet of an elephant on account of their killing an elephant wrongfully, were got released by Siddhicandra.*
After 1618 AD, no further reference to Jahangir's contact with the Jaina religious teachers are available either in the 'Tuzuk-eJahangiri or in Jaina literary sources. Thus the glorious chapter of the Jainism and their relation with Emperor Jahangir came to an end. 'Bhānucandra-caritra' also ends here.
