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PARSVANATH AS SEEN IN MAHA-PURANA AND ...
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see it. Vipulamati Ganadhara was also there. Ananda bowed down to Ġanadhara and listened religious discuourse from him. At the end he asked Ganadhara about his doubts (M.P. 73:47). "The lifeless images cannot avert (Paranmukha), punish or favour anybody. But innocent divotees worship them to get these things. How could they acquire the fruit by worship of lifeless images?". To which Vipulmati Ganadhara replied that assurance of security (Abhaya-dana) and deed of gift (Sastra-dana) were for the first time set in practice by Adi-deva in this particular place and Bharatraja showed the householders the practice of worship of Jina Temple. Sreyansa of Hastinapura became famous by his gift of food (Ahara-dana). So like Bharata you will also attain the fruit of Jina worship. He also gave the example of Kalpavriksa, the tree that grants all desires and Cintamani, a gem of Svarga supposed to yield to its possesser everything wanted. These are lifeless, still they grant the possesser whatever they desire. Similarly Jina-images though they are lifeless, they motivate bondage of Punya (Virtue) and cause for the Shubha Parinamotpatti.
The above exhaustive explanation is not found in Mahapurana in the present context. But Cavundaraya has given place to the doubts of common men and explained convincingly with examples. He might have some other sources for this detail but the comprehension, logical argument speaks of his creative faculty.
Hearing from Vipulamati about the Jina-images and Akritrima (Natural) Jina-pratimas in the sky (Suryamandala), Ananda with devotion bowed-down and worshipped. People who saw him doing so also started respectful salutation to Suryamandala. From here onwards Suryopasana found its roots in this world. Here we see Cavundaraya giving more colour and making the situation more vivid by the additional information. Ananda who was convinced by the explanation of Vipulamati began the worship of Arhat-bhattarakas in Aditya mandala in the manner declared by
