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Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
As to the personal history of these two writers we know very little. In the Prasasti to Jayadhavala Jinasena introduces himself thus:
He was a pupil of Virasena; although his ears were not bored, they were bored with jñāna-salaka...... he observed celibacy from his childhood, he was not very good looking, nor very wise yet Sarasvati attended on him. He propitiated his teachers with his inborn qualities such as intelligence, gentleriess and modesty.
He was thin physically but not spiritually he was proficient in the Atma-vidya; he spent all his time in the pursuit of true knowledge. And hence he was called 'JñánamayaPinda' - "a mass of consciousness - knowledge. pure and simple“ (a) JINASENA'S WORKS:
He completed the Jaya-dhavala work, left unfinished by his teacher Vírasena. The first 20000 stanzas are from the pen of Virasena while the last 40000 are exclusively of Jinasena's composition.
Another work of his is the Parsvābhyudaya - a lyric poem containing 364 verses in Mandā-kräntā. This minor poem is of great poetic value.
The third work, which he left unfinished, is his Maha-Purana (first 42 parvans only are from his pen). It was completed by his pupil Gunbhadra. This Adi-Purăņa ranks very high as a Maha-Kavya. Gunabhadra pays a very high tribute to this work in the Prasasti at the end of his Uttara-Purāņa.
Hearsay has it that when Jinasena knew that his end was drawing near and he could not finish his Maha-Purāņa, he sent for his two best pupils and asked them to describe a dried up tree standing before them. One said: "Suskam Kāştham tişthatyagre" and the other. 'Nfrasataruriha vilasati Puratah". Jinasena found the second pupil a worthy one who could successfully finish the rest of the work. This pupil was none else than Gunabhadra. (b) GUŅABHADRA'S WORKS :
Besides his Uttara-Purăņa there are two works to Gunabhadra's credit: Atmānuśásana and Jinadatta-Caritra. Atmānusāsana is in the style of Bhartshari's VairāgyaSataka and contains 272 verses. It is composed in very easy and fluent style. Jinadattacarita is a Khanda-Kavya in nine Cantos. It is composed in Anuştup metre. Its story is very fascinating, and its diction and style graceful.
2. Prasasti to Jayadhavala : w. 27-34. 3. w. 17 and 18 and
Sudurlabham yadanyatra ctrådapi subhāşítaṁ - Sulabharh svatrasangrahyart tadthästi pade pade soon
