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BHANUCANDRA CARITRA
12
9th October 1593 A. D.) and Sanskrit commentary thereon and Gujarati Karmacandra V..Prabandha by his pupil Gunavinaya both composed in S. Y. 1656 and 1655).
The firman given to Jinacandra Sûri was lost or misplaced. Upon this his pupil Jinasimha Suri applied to the Emperor for another firman. Akbar readily granted on 31st Khurdad, Elahi 49 (1605 A. D.), referring therein to the firmans granted to Hira-Vijaya Süri and to Jinacandra Sūri, prohibiting the slaughter of animal and flesh-eating during the 12 days including Paryusana, and during the seven days from Aṣādha S'ukla 9th to 15th ("Sarasvati", June, 1912, a Hindi monthly). (For a detailed account see Nähtäs' Hindi book entitled 'Yugapradhana Śri Jinacandra Suri').
II. OTHER JAINA TEACHERS AT THE COURT OF AKBAR.
We have finished the accounts of great Jaina teachers at the Court of Akbar. Now we shall deal with some minor Jaina teachers who visited the Royal Court.
8. Padmasundara.
Padmasundara was a Jaina monk" staying at Agra. Akbar had formed a high opinion of him and had great regard for him. It is said that on one occasion Akbar made the following remarks about him while talking with Hira-Vijaya Süri:-"There lived some time ago a learned man named Padmasundara. He was my dear friend. He had studied at Benares. Once a proud brahmin pandit began to style himself 'Pandita-Raja'. Thereupon Padmasundara challenged him to a debate in which he utterly vanquished him. Unfortunately, he died after some time, leaving me in constant sorrow. I have preserved all his manuscripts and scriptures in my palace, because I found that his pupils were not worthy enough to receive so rich a heritage. It is my wish that you accept this collection as a gift from me" (Hira-Saubhagya-Kāvya Ch. 14, Verses 91 to 94).
9. Nandivijaya.
Nandivijaya was a pupil of Vijayasena Süri, and had accompanied him to the Court of Akbar, at Lahore. He performed eight avadhanas at the Court, where many feudatory kings and amirs were present. The Emperor who was highly impressed with the performance, conferred on him the title "Khush-faham" (a man of sharp
13 It is stated in Nagapuriya Tapa Gaccha Pattavali:-"Padmasundara belonged to that Gaccha. He had very friendly relations with Akbar. He vanquished a brahmin pandit in a debate. On that occasion Akbar gave him many presents including a palanquin. He also got a religious halting place erected for him at Agra." Read also f. n. 488 in my Gujarati work "A Short History of Jaina Literature."
