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INTRODUCTION
yas tattvādhigamākhyam jñāsyati ca karisyate ca tatroktam || so’vyābādhasukhākhyaṁ prāpsyaty acireņa paramārtham |16||
“He whose preceptor in respect of initiation was Ghoşanandi—kşamāśramaņa-an expert in the eleven Anga-textsand the grand-preceptor-i. e. the preceptor's preceptor-Vācakamukhya Śivaśrī, whose preceptor in respect of teaching-i. e. education—was the Vācakācārya named 'Mūla' and the grandpreceptor Mahāvācaka 'Mundapāda', who was ‘Kaubhīşaņi' by gotra, who was the son of the father 'Svāti' and the mother Vātsī', who was born at Nyagrodhikā, and who belonged to the branch 'Uccanāgaral—that Umāsvāti Vācaka, having properly assi
1. The branch 'Uccairnāgara' has got 'Uccānāgara' for its Prākrit equivalent. Now it seems obvious that this branch was so designated after the name of some village or city. But it is difficult to decide as to what particular village or city this was. In numerous parts of India there are numerous cities and villages which bear either the name ‘nagara' or a name ending in 'nagara'. E.g. 'Bara nagara (Vadanagara)' is an old and famous town of Gujarat. 'Bara' means big and big can perhaps be treated also as a synonym for 'high' (Sanskrit Ucca). But the scholars are also of the view that the name 'Bara nagara' was adopted in Gujarat in imitation of the same or a similar name borne by some city in the Eastern parts. Hence it cannot be emphatically asserted that the branch Uccanāgara has relation with Baranagara itself. Besides, it is also worth considering as to whether at the times when the branch Uccānāgara originated Baranagara was or was not in existence and if it was, how far it was associated with the Jainas. Evidences go to prove that at the time when the branch Uccanāgara originated the Jaina masters used to tour about in the country parts neighbouring Gangā and Yamunā. Hence the surmise that the branch Uccanāgara has relation with Baranagara does not retain much weight. In this connection Cunningham writes : "This geographical name is akin to that of the fort named 'Uccānāgara' situated in the modern district Bulandshahar of the North-Western Province.”—see Archeological Survey of India Report, Volume 14, p. 147-(re-translated from Hindi-tr.)
In his article devoted to the origin of the Nāgaras Shri Manashankar, while tracing relationships of the word 'Nāgara', mentions numerous villages bearing the name 'nagara'. So that too is a matter worthy of consideration in the present context-See Report of the sixth Gujarati Sahitya Parishad.
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