Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 396

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PRAŠASTI
From him the branch (sākhā) named Vajrā took place in the tree of the Koţika order, the sister of the triad of branches, Uccanāgarikā, et cetera.270 In the Vajrā-branch there was the sect, Candra, which became a bunch of flowers with the bees of munis clinging to it. In that sect there was Yaśobhadra Sūri, the moon of nectar of pious meditation, an ocean of interpretation of the spotless scriptures, the sun to the lotuses of bhavyas, a lion for the destruction of the elephant Love, who had a wealth of self-restraint, a heap of compassion, by whom the earth was filled with his own pure glory. He made a death from voluntary starvation on the mountain, whose peak had been purified by Sri Jinendra Nemi,271 first having observed a fast, at the last engaging in pure meditation, remaining with a tranquil mind, creating a miracle for thirteen days, he verified fully the stories of selfrestraint of earlier sages.
Śrīmat Pradyumna Sūri, who caused the enlightenment of many bhavyas, was his disciple, whose collection of good qualities was known to all the world. Like a rain-cloud he favors the whole earth with water of interpretation taken from the ocean of scripture, after spreading everywhere the sthānakas272 which resemble a shower of nectar for the ear.
Then Gunasena Sūri, a jeweled mirror of the esoteric meanings of all the sacred books, a tree for the creeper of happiness, an ocean of nectar of compassion, the sun in the sky of Jain doctrine, Mt. Rohaņa of the jewels of good-conduct, et cetera, purifying the earth, general to King Dharma, was his disciple.
His disciple was Sri Devacandra Sūri, a living tirtha, purifying the earth, Mt. Hima with the Gangā of Syādvāda,
270 8. The other śākhās are Vidyādharā and Madhyamikā. KSK, p. 169 and SBE, 22, p. 292.
271 11. I.e., Girnar.
272 12. This does not refer to the 20 sthānakas, as the text suggests, but to a work by Pradyumnasūri, Sthānakāni, which deals with the saptakşetri.