1. References to the Caitragaccha in Inscriptions and Literature

A separate study of the different Jaina Schools or Gacchas' in an exhaustive manner based on all epigraphic, literary and other sources will prove extremely useful to the students of Jaina * Originally published in Jaina Antiquary, 1914, Vol. VII, pp.1-14. 1. Mr. C. D. Dalal's Cata. of Jesalmere MSS, Baroda, 1923, p. 98 mentions the following Gacchas and ganas etc. - upakesagaccha, austrikamata, kasthasangha, kasahadiyagaccha, krsnarsiyagaccha, kodiya (kotika ) gana, kharataragaccha, kharataravidhipaksa, kharataravegadagaccha, brhatkharataragaccha, candrakula, candragaccha camdrakula, caitya- vasi, jalyodharagaccha, tapagana, tharapadrapuriyagaccha, devananda gaccha, padicchayagaccha, puskara- gana, purnatalagaccha, purnimapaksa prathamasakha, brhadgaccha, brahmanagaccha, mathuranvaya, yasobhadrasuri- gaccha, rudrapalliyagaccha, vaira (vajra ) sakha, vasatimarga, vidhipatha, vidhimarga, vidhipaksa, vidyadharavamsa | The Prasasti Samgraha by A. M. Shah, Ahmedabad, 1937, Part I ( Index p. 4 ) records the following Gacchas etc. :- upakesagaccha, koramtagaccha, krsnarajarsigaccha, ghosapuriyagaccha, camdrakula, tapogana, tapagaccha, tapa, purnimapaksa, rajagaccha, vrddhagacchagana, samderagaccha, - Part II ( Index p. 20) records the following Gacchas etc. ;-agamagaccha, amcalagaccha, upakesagaccha, kasahadagaccha, koratavalagaccha, koramtagaccha, kastasamgha mathuranvaya puskaragana, kaccholivalagaccha, kharataragaccha, kharatara, camdra- gaccha, caitragaccha, jiraulagaccha, tapagaccha, tapagana, dvivamdanikagaccha, dvivedi paksa, dharmaghosa- gaccha, nagendragana, naditatagaccha, nanavalagaccha, purnimapaksa, pisphalagaccha, pipaliyasala, brahmanagacchiya, brhadgaccha, brhadbrahmaniyagaccha, bhimapalliya purnimapaksa, bhadaragaccha, mabagaccha, maladharagaccha, rudrapalliyagaccha, vrddhatapagaccha, vidhipaksagaccha, sudharmagaccha, harijagaccha | , The Kharatara Gaccha Pattavali Samgraha by Muni Jinavijaya, Calcutta, 1932 ( Index) mentions the following Gacchas etc. :- acaryagaccha kharatara sakha (acaryamya gaccha ), adyapaksiya gana, amcalikamata, kurcapuragaccha, kotika (gaccha, gana ), komalya gaccha, candragaccha, candrakula, citravala gaccha, tapa (gana, gaccha ) dubalikapaksa, nagendra ( - gaccha kula ), nirvrtti (gaccha kula ), pippalaka kharataragaccha sakha, popaliya gana (gaccha ), punarnavagaccha, bhavaharsiya kharatarasakha, madhukara kharatarasakha, ramga- vijaya kharatarasakha, rajagaccha, rudrapalliya kharatarasakha, rudeliya gana, laghu acaryamya kharatarasakha, laghu kharataragaccha (gana, - sakha ), laghu bhattaraka kharatarasakha, suvihita kharatara - gaccha, suvihitapaksagaccha . , Buhler's Life of Hemacandra (Eng. Trans. by M. Patel) 1936, mentions the following Gacchas:- camdragaccha, kotikagana, purnacandragaccha . A Kannada inscription on a pillar at Patasivaram (Anantapur Dist. South India) dated 24 th February 1185, mentions pustakagaccha, desigana and mulasamgha to which belonged padmaprabha maladharideva, disciple of Viranandi-Siddhanta- Chakravartideva (Vide p. 299 of Madras Presi. 1

2 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY literature, philosophy and religion as it will give us a skeleton outline of the history of Jaina Schools and the several acaryas that were associated with them. This is, however, a subject to be tackled by students interested in the history of Jaina literature and religion. In the absence of any encyclopaedic work dealing with the various Jaina Schools and their historical development it would be useful to collect and record data pertaining to the several schools separately to facilitate a closer study of them, as also to enable us to understand the interrelations of these schools through changing vicissitudes of political and religious history of India. In the present paper I shall confine myself to one Gaccha viz. the Caitragaccha of Chitor in Rajputana and shall record a few references to it in inscriptions and literature. (1) The Prasasti Samgraha' records the following colophon of a MS of the Meghaduta in a Bhandar at Patan :- " samvat 1604 2 varse vaisakha sudi 2 bhumavasare sricaitragacche bha0 sri0 6 nayakirti- suri surindran || tat sisya mu0 vinayakirtilikhitam svavacanaya, citramgada durgamadhye || srirastu || sri || " The above colophon of A.D. 1547 gives us the names of two Jainas viz., (1) Nayakirti' and (2) Vinayakirti associated with the (Continued from previous page) Kannada Inscriptions, ed. by Shamasastry and Lakshminarayan Rao, 1939-Ins. No. 278). Vide also p. 400 of the above volume, where an inscription of A. D. 1297 records the gift of some land to fa disciple of nemicamdra ravuka of the pustakagaccha, desigana and mulasamgha . On p. 89 again we have inscription No. 115 dated A. D. 1054 which mentions a Jain teacher belonging to mulasamgha, desigana and pottagagaccha . 1. Ed. by A. M. Shah, Part II, p. 102. 2. This MS was copied in April 1547. 3. In the Chitor Stone inscription of A. D. 1287 engraved on a pillar about a mile or so from Chitor in the reign of Samara-Simha a grant is made to the temple of Vaidyanatha built on a tank called Citranga (mod. Chitrang Moris tank at Citrakuta (Vide H. C. Ray: Dynastic History of Northern India II, p. 1194). In a MS copied in in Samvat 1597 (= A. D. 1541) i.e. six years earlier than the Meghaduta MS of A. D. 1547 we find the mention of Citrakuta durga" in the reign of "Rajadhiraja Sri Vanavira" and the Gaccha existing at Chitor is styled as "Ancala Gaccha." 4. 'The Jain Granthavali does not mention any author of the name Nayakirti. Winternitz (His. of Ind. Lit. II, Calcutta, 1933) & S. Vidyabhusana (Ind. Logic, 1921) make no reference to any author of this name in their Chapters on "Jaina Literature" (pp, 424-595) and "Jain Logic" (pp. 158-224) respectively.

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE Caitragaccha in the Chitor fort. The Pattavali No. 1 of the Kharatara Gaccha contains the following dated reference to Citrakuta or Chitor :Death of Jinavallabhasuri at Citrakuta in Samvat 1168 ( = A.D. 1112).' If the above date of the death of Jinavallabhasuri at Citrakuta is correct it shows the association of the Kharataragaccha with Chitor at the beginning of the 12 th Century but it does not help us to know the history of the Caitragaccha mentioned in the Meghaduta MS referred to above. Ksemakirti, pupil of Vijayendu and belonging to Candrakula composed his commentary on the Brhatkalpasutra in Samvat 1332 i. e. A. D. 1276. At the end of his commentary he possibly refers to the genesis of the Caitragaccha in the following verses :- "srijainasasana - nabhastala - tigmarasmih sri sana camdrakula- padmavikasakari | svajyotiravrtadagambaradambaro'bhut sriman dhanesvaraguruh prathitah prthivyam || 7 || 1. Vide Kharatara Gaccha Pattavali Samgraha, 1932, p. "6 sri jinavallabhasurih .....samvat 1168 citrakute svargapraptih " Other references are as follows:Page 4 - " durge sricitrakute praharasasasabhrccandrasamkhye hi varse | etc. " Page 24 - " punarekada sri jinadattasuriscitrakutadevagrhe vajrastambha sthitam nanamamtramnayamayam pustakam mamtrabalena prakatikrtya grhitavan " 10 Page 32 - "sri jinabhadrasurih anaya ritya ekada citrakute samagatah " Jinabhadra died in Samvat 1514 (A. D. 1458) Page 46 - " samvat 1167 varse asadhavadi 6 dine patte sthapana sridevabhadrasurina krta sricitrakute etc. " Page 53 - "tatah sri jinesvarasaribhiscitrakute cimtamaniparsvanathaprasade bhamdagare pustakam nirvasya pradattam | kramena agatam pattane | mahotsavena anitam | sri kumarapaladyah saptasatamanusyah sasrika anyepi bahavo janah salayam sthita samti | drstam pustakam hemacaryena etc. " Page 55 - " sri jinavardhanasurayah | taih srijesalameri parsvanatha caityamadhye gambharakat ksetrapalo nirvasitah | tena kupitena pratijna krta aham tvam gacchannirva- sayami | ratri strirupena samagacchati tatascitrakute gatah etc." 3.

4 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY srima caitra puraikamamdana mahavirapratisthakrta- stasmaccitra puraprabodhataraneh sri caitragaccho'jani ' | tatra sri bhuvanemdrasurisugururbhubhusanam bhasura- jyotih sadguna-ratna- rohanagirih kalakramenabhavat || 8 || " The above verses tell as that one Dhanesvaraguru was the originator or founder of the Caitragaccha (tasmat ... sricaitragaccho'jani ). This guru is styled as "citrapura prabodhataraneh i. e. "the Sun for the awakening of Citrapura" obviously on account of his spiritual " 1. This Caitragaccha referred to in A. D. 1276 by Ksemakirti is not found in the following 84 Gacchas of the Jainas, which originated with the pupils of a Jaina high priest named Udyotana who flourished about the middle of the 10 th century. These Eighty-four Gacchas as given on pp. 78-79 of Buhler's The Indian Sect of the Jainas edited by J. Burgess, London, 1903, are:- (1) Vada, (2) Osvala, (3) Ancala, (4) Jiravala, (5) Khadatara or Kharatara, (6) Lonka or Ricmati, (7) Tapa, (8) Gangesvara, (9) Korantavala, (10) Anandapura, (11) Bharavati, (12) Udhaviya, (13) Gudava, (14) Dekaupa or Dekava, (15) Bhinmala, (16) Mahudiya, (17) Gacchapala, (18) Gosavala, (19) Magatragagada, (20) Vrhmaniya, (21) Tatara, (22) Vikadiya, (23) Munjhiya, (24) Citroda, (25) Sacora, (26) Jacandiya, (27) Sidhalava, (28) Miyandiya, (29) Agamiya, (30) Maladhari, (31) Bhavariya, (32) Palivala, (33) Nagadigesvara, (34) Dharmaghosa, (35) Nagapura, (36) Ucatavala, (37) Nannavala, (38) Sadera, (39) Mandovara, (40) Surani, (41) Khambhavati, (42) Paecamda, (43) Sopariya, (44) Manaliya, (45) Kocchipana, (46) Jagamna, (47) Laparavala, (48) Vosarada, (49) Duivandaniya, (50) Citravala, (51) Vegada, (52) Vapada, (53) Vijahara, Vijhara, (54) Kaupuri, (55) Kacala, (56) Hamdaliya, (57) Mahukara, (58) Putaliya, (59) Kamnariseya, (60) Revardiya, (61) Dhandhuka, (62) Thambhanipana, (63) Pamcivala, (64) Palanpura, (65) Gamdhariya, (66) Veliya, (67) Sadhpunamiya, (68) Nagarakotiya, (69) Hasora, (70) Bhatanera, (71) Janahara, (72) Jagayana, (73) Bhimasena, (74) Takadiya, (75) Kamboja, (76) Senata, (77) Vaghera, (78) Vahediya, (79) Siddhapura, (80) Ghoghari, (81) Nagamiya, (82) Punamiya, (83) Varhadiya, (84) Namila - Some of these names are common to Col. Miless list (Tr. R. A. S. vol. III, pp. 358 f. 363, 365, 370) and H. C. Brigg's list-Cities of Gujarashtra p. 339. I wonder if Gaccha No. 24 (Citroda) in the above list has any connection with the Caitragaccha mentioned by Ksemakirti !

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE 75 knowledge. Citrapura¹ mentioned by Ksemakirti appears to be identical with modern Chitor. If this identification is correct it is but in the fitness of things that such an illustrious Jainacarya should be the founder of the Caitragaccha, the existence of which in the latter part of the 13 th century and its continuity to the middle of the 16 th century is proved by inscriptional and literary sources. ' 1. Chitor is mentioned in historical references as a f , (Vide Index to Kharatara Gaccha Pattavali Samgraha, p. 3) though I have not come across the name as such for Chitor used in documents or elsewhere. The Prasasti Samgraha by A. M. Shah records the following names of Chitor :Part II- "citrakuta mahanagare ' P. 16 (Pr. No. 54) "" in a MS dated Samvat 1510 A. D. 1454 P. 46 (Pr. 195) "citrakute pure " in a MS dated Samvat = 1547 A. D. 1491 P. 82 (Pr. 285) "" in a MS. dated Samvat "citrakuta citrakuta = 1573=A. D. 1517 P. 97 (Pr. 352) "" in a MS dated Samvat P. 94 (Pr. 216) " citrakuta mahadurge 1597 A. D. 1541 " in a MS dated Samvat 1553 A. D. 1497 P. 93 (Pr. 332) "" in a MS dated Samvat citrakota = 1592 A. D. 1536 == P. 113 (Pr. 424) "fa" in a MS dated Samvat 1616 =A. D. 1560 P. 96 (Pr. 347)" fina MS dated Samvat 1597 = A. D. 1541 P. 102 (Pr. 376) "f" in a MS dated Samvat 1604 A. D. 1548. = Part I, page 94 (Pr. 161)-A MS of "a" copied in Samvat 1280 A. D. 1224. It contains an endorsement dated Samvat 1343 = A. D. 1287 in which it is stated that one resident of f purchased it. The Patan MSS. Catalogue Vol. I (Baroda, 1937) contains the following references to Chitor:-Page 34-MS dated Samvat 1185 (A. D. 1129) mentions HR as resident of citrakutacala " (krtih .................citrakutacala nivasinah sriharibhadrasureh ) - P. 66 f" mentioned in a MS dated Samvat 1314 = A. D. 1258 - P. 156 (cittauda = citrakuta ). "6 ""

6 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY The name Dhanesvara Suri is very commonly met with in the literature of the Jainas. It is, therefore, necessary to identify him if possible and for this purpose we shall have to note all the namesakes' of Dhanesvara in dated sources, who flourished before A. D. 1276 the date of composition of Ksemakirti's commentary on the Brhatkalpasutra. The Jesalmere Inscriptions edited by P. C. Nahar contain the following references to the Caitra Gaccha :- 1. A MS of Yogasastravrtti was copied for Dhanesvara Suri at Sri Pattana in Samvat 1255 (= A. D. 1199) Vide Prasasti Samgraha Part I, p. 82 (Pr. 130) - samvat 1255 varse marga sudi 1 khau || adyeha sri pattana sridevacaryavasatyam sridhanesvarasurinam hetordvadasasahastrayogasastravrttim paramasravakathakkaravardha- manena sudarsanagramavastavya pari • visalaparsvat likhapita etc. Part II, p. 93 - In a MS dated Samvat 1592 (= A. D. 1536) the Suris of the vix., samtimari, siddhasenasuri, dhanesarasuri etc., are mentioned. This DhaneSvarasuri has no connection with our Dhanesvara on account of the difference of chronology and the difference of the Gacchas. is mentioned in the JesalOne Dhanesvarasuri of the IT mere Inscription No. 2230 dated Samvat 1329 (=A. D. 1273) but he is obviously a different person as he does not belong to the Caitra Gaccha (Vide p. 61 of Jesalmere Inscriptions III by P. C. Nahar, Calcutta, 1929). Two more namesakes of this Suri are found in the same Gaccha in inscriptions dated Samvat 1476 (= A. D. 1420) and Samvat 1527 (A. D. 1471) vide Inscription Nos. 2291 and 2348 in the above volume of Jesalmere Inscriptions. It would appear that Dhanesvarasuri of the Nanakiya Gaccha living in A. D. 1273 was a contemporary of Ksema-Kirti who composed his commentary on the Brhat-Kalpasutra in A. D. 1276 i. e. three years after the Jesalmere Inscription of A. D. 1273. While dealing with Jain influence under the Paramara Kings Dr. D. C. Gongoly (Paramara Dynasty 1933, p. 250) states that "Dhanesvara lived in Malwa during the reign of Munja." This Dhanesvara belonged to Raja Gaccha (Vide p. iii of Peterson's Fourth Report). The last known date of Munja or Vakpati II is A. D. 993-4 (Vide p. 80 of Parm. Dynasty).

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE Inscription Samvat Number. year. A. D. Suris mentioned in the Inscription 2229 1327 1271 Kanakaprabhasuri (in the line of Ajitasimha Suri "sri caitragacche ") 2416 1339 1283 Dharmadeva Suri " " 2249 1381 2255 1325 Dharmadeva Suri "f 1388 1332 Amadeva Suri "" , 2320 1503 1447 Malacandra Suri "fa The Jesalmere inscriptions noted in the above statement bear further testimony to the continuity of the Caitra Gaccha between A. D. 1271 and A. D. 1447. We have already quoted the colophon of a Meghaduta MS of A. D. 1547 which carries further this continuity exactly by 100 years. With a view to having a thorough knowledge of the several suris belonging to the Caitra Gaccha and their contribution to Jain and non-Jain literature and philosophy, it is necessary to record the names of these suris as found in references to them in the entire Jain literature published and unpublished but this is a task which must be left to scholars who have specialized in the history of Jain religion and philosophy. I have, therefore, great pleasure in recording below the information about the Caitra Gaccha kindly sent to me by my friend Prof. A. N. Upadhye of Kolhapur :The Caitra Gaccha is also called Citra or Citravala Gaccha. It is not so popular as Kharatara or Tapa Gaccha. From a book called "Jaina Dhatu-pratima Lekha Samgraha by Buddhisagara (Bombay, Samvat 1973), the following facts may be noted:Samvat year A. D. 1333 Reference to Caitra Gaccha (= C. G.) 1277 Devananda Suri of C. G. installed an image of Santinatha. 1. Mr. P. C. Nahar in his Index to Jesalmere Inscriptions, III, p. 218 identifies with entry :-" caitra [citravala ] gaccha . " as he makes the following

8 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY Samvat year A. D. Reference to Caitra Gaccha (=C. G.) 1339 1283 1388 1332 1396 1340 1400 1344 1405 1349 1417 1361 1474 1418 1451 1395 1457 1401 1484 1428 1507 1451 Vardhamana Suri of C. G. installed an image found at Chaveli. Hari Candra Suri of C. G. installed an image of Santinatha, now at Kolwad. Manadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image of Parsvanatha, now at Ahmedabad. Rajadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image, now at Ahmedabad. Dharmadeva Suri of C. C. installed an image of Adinatha. Manadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image of Adinatha. Malaya Candra Suri, the disciple of Parsvacandra of the C. G. installed an image of Adinatha, now at Ahmedabad. Pasadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image, now at Unjha. Pasadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image, now at Ahmedabad. Jinadatta Suri of C. G. installed a plate of 24 Jinas, now at Visanagar. Munitilaka Suri of C. G. installed an image of Santinatha. 1507 1451 Laksmideva of C. G. installed an image of Vimala, now at Ahmedabad. 1512 1456 1512 1456 1519 1463 Munitilaka of C. G. installed an image of Sitalanatha, now at Ahmedabad. Ratnadeva Suri, the disciple of Jinadeva Suri, belonging to the line of Gunadeva of C. G. installed an image of Vimalanatha, now at Visanagara. Sri Suri of C. G. installed an image of Sambhavanatha, now at Ahmedabad.

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE 9 Samvat year. A. D. Reference to Caitra Gaccha (= C. G.) 1520 1464 1521 1465 1522 1466 1527 1471 1537 1481 1547 1491 1554 14 8 1559 1503 1579 1523 Laksmisagara, the pupil of Malayacandra of C.G. installed an image of Santinatha, now at Kosa. Laksmisagara of C. G. installed an image of Parsvanatha. Laksmisagara Suri, the pupil of Malayacandra of C. G. installed an image of Vasupujya which is found at Dabhoi. Jnanadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image of Neminatha at Dholera. Carucandra Suri, the Pupil of Somakirti of C. G. installed an image of Dharmanatha Laksmisagara Suri of C. G. installed an image of Sryamsa, now at Ahmedabad. Somadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image of Neminatha. Ratnadeva Suri, of the line of Gunadeva Suri of C. G. installed an image, now at Unjha. Pasadeva Suri, Pupil of Viradeva Suri of C. G. installed an image of Sambhavanatha. If we now sum up the data recorded above on the antiquity of the Caitra Gaccha it provides us the following chronological conspectus based on epigraphic and literary sources:Chronology Source A. D. 1271-1447 " Jesalmere Inscriptions Jaina Dhatu Pratima Lekhasamgraha 1277-1523 1276 " 1547 " Patan MS of the Meghaduta Ksemakirti's Commentary on Brhatkalpasutra

10 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY The dates recorded in the above conspectus show an unbroken continuity of the Caitra Gaccha for about 276 years between the years A. D. 1271 and 1547. We have also seen that various Jainacaryas were associated with the Caitra Gaccha during this period and it should be a matter for investigation how and to what extent they advanced the cause of Jain religion, literature and philosophy. The text of the earliest inscription' of A. D. 1271 containing the reference to the Caitra Gaccha reads as follows:- "samvat 1327 varse phaguna sudi 12 haricamdraputra jathasiha bhagini mohini atmasreyortham bimbam karitam || pratisthitam sricaicagacche sriajita simhasu risamtane srikanaka- prabhasuribhih " This text shows that Kanakaprabhasuri of the Caitra Gaccha in the line of Ajitasimhasuri was living in A. D. 1271. It is now necessary for us to take the history of the Caitra Gaccha backward from A. D. 1271 and for this purpose the Chirava Inscription of the time of Samarasimha of Mewar of Vikrama Samvat 1330 (= A. D. 1273) is very much useful as it refers to the Jainacaryas of the Caitra Gaccha in the following verses³ :- - 1. P. C. Nahar: Jesalmere Inscriptions, p. 60, Inscrip. No. 2229. 2. Edited by R. R. Haldar in Epi. Indica, (XXII, October 1934) published in 1938, page 285 ff. This inscription was first edited in Vienna Oriental Journal, XXI, pp. 155 ff. but it is re-edited historically by Mr. Haldar. Exact date of the inscription is Friday- 13 th October 1273. 3. Mr. Haldar gives us the following English summary of these verses: Page 286- "Then follows the description of the Jain Acharyas, who flourished at that place (Chitor). Verse 44 says that there was at the head of the Pasupata Sect Sivarasi who possessed many good qualities and worshipped the God Ekalinga. After him Bhadresvarasuri of the Caitra Gaccha, Devabhadra suri, Siddhasenasuri, Jinesvarasuri, his pupil Vijayasimhasuri, Bhuvanacandrasuri, his pupil Ratnaprabhasuri, then living, followed in succession (Vv.45-47). The last named was highly honoured by Visvaladeva and Tejahsimha and composed this prasasti at Chitor (V. 48). The name of the writer of this record is given as Parsvacandra, who was the pupil of Ratnaprabhasuri, while that of the engraver Kelisimha, son of Padmasimha. Delhana was the artisan who did other things connected with it. (Vv. 49-50)."

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE "sri caitragaccha gagane tarakabudhakavikalavatam nilaye | sribhadresvarasurirgururudaganniskavarnah || 45 || sridevabhadrasuristadanu srisiddhasenasuriratha | ajani jinesvarasuristacchisyo vijayasimha surisva || 46 || sribhuvanacamdrasuristatpattebhudabhuta dambhamalah sriratnaprabhasuristasya vineyosti muniratnam || 47 || srimadvisvaladevasritejah simha rajakrta pujah | sa imam prasastimakarodiha ruciram citrakutasthah || 48 || sisyo mudhyalikha (nma ) ravyo vaidusyena vibhusitah | parsvacandra imam vidvadvannyavarnalisalinim || 49 || padmasimha sutah kelisimho mumuccakara ca | sthanetra delhanah silpi kammata [rama ] karayat || 50 || yavadvisvasarasyasminnasti ramasri puskaram | rajahamsayutam tavat prasastinamdatadiyam || 51 || samvat 1330 varse karttikasudi pratipadi su [kre ] []" 11 The line of acaryas as we find recorded in A. D. 1273 in the above prasasti composed by Ratnaprabhasuri and recorded by his pupil Parsvacandra is as follows:- (1) bhadresvarasuri ( of caitragaccha ) 1 (2) devabhadrasuri (3) siddhasenasuri (4) jinesvarasuri (5) vijaya simha suri (6) bhuvanacamdrasuri (7) ratnaprabhasuri (8) parsvacamdra } living in ang in A. D. 1273 This line of Bhadresvarasuri in the Caitra Gaccha existing in A. D. 1273 and represented by Ratnaprabha and his pupil Parsvacandra appears to be different from the line of Ajitasimha of the same Gaccha mentioned in the inscription of A. D. 1271 and

12 STUDIES IN INDIAN LITERARY HISTORY represented by Kanakaprabhasuri then living. Evidently Ratnaprabha and Kanakaprabha were contemporary acaryas of the same Caitra Gaccha. The line of Bhadresvarasuri of the Caitra Gaccha mentioned by Ratnaprabha in A. D. 1273 as having 6 acaryas preceding him enables us to take the antiquity of the Caitra Gaccha to about 1100 A. D. if not a little earlier, presuming that a generation of the teacher and his pupil represents about 25 years and presuming also that Ratnaprabha's list of his predecessors is accurately recorded. We must, however, search for definite historical evidence for studying the details of the lives of the 6 predecessors of Ratnaprabha (living in 1273 A. D.). Ratnaprabha states that the Kings Visvaladeva and Tejahsimha honoured him (v. 48 of the prasasti). Tejasimha belonged to the ruling line of the Guhilaputras of Medapata or Mewar, a genealogical table of which has been recorded by Dr. H.C. Ray. 'As Tejasimha's dates are c. 1260-1267 A. D. and as he honoured Ratnaprabhasuri of the Caitra Gaccha we can presume that Ratnaprabha's influence at the Mewar Court was sustained say between A. D. 1260 and 1273. This conclusion is supported by a further inscription² found near Chitor which is dated Samvat 1322 i.e. A. D. 1265 and its prasasti which was composed by Ratnaprabha Suri of the Caitra Gaccha. Another inscription³, mentioning Hemacandra Suri and others of the Caitra Gaccha, is the Chitor Stone inscription dated Samvat 1324 i.e. A. D. 1267. It is incised on a stone fixed on an arch of the bridge on the Gambhiri river near Chitor. This stone is said to have originally belonged to the temple of Mahavira at Talahati at the foot of the Chitrakuta hill. Though the evidence of literature and inscriptions recorded in this short inquiry about the antiquity of the Caitragaccha takes us 1. Dynastic History, II, pp. 1206-08-I quote below the dates given by Dr. Ray for the last four rulers of the Medapata line of the Guhila-putras :Jaitrasimha (c. 1213-1256 A. D.) Tejasimha (c. 1260-1267 A. D.) Samarasimha (c. 1273-1301 A. D.) Ratnasimha (c. 1302-1303 A. D.) 2. Ibid, p. 1191.-This epigraph is now in the Victoria Hall, Udaipur . It was noticed in Rajputana Museum Report, 1927, p. 3. It was found in the village of Ghagsa near Chitor. It describes the family who built the well, where the inscription was originally found. 3. Ibid, Vide Epi. Ind. XX, Appendix p. 81, No. 570.

CAITRAGACCHA IN INSCRIPTIONS AND LITERATURE 13 safely to about A. D. 1100, the Jain tradition' as based on the Pattavalis claims the existence of a Sakha of Mula Sangha (Digambar School) at Chitor right from 515 B. C. upto A. D. 1881. The Pattavalis no doubt provide good data for historical verification but they need to be linked up with epigraphic and other objective evidence for a reliable reconstruction of Jain chronology and history. 1. Vide Appendix E (Chronological List of the Gaccha-heads) to the Epitome of Jainism by Puran Chand Nahar, Calcutta, 1917, p. lxxix Mr. Nahar states that the Nandi Sanga (Chitor Sakha) was founded by Meghanandin, disciple of Guptigupta or Arhadbali and is also known as Sarasvati Gaccha, and Balatkara Gana. The list of Gaccha heads recorded by Mr. Nahar is based upon the Pattavali as published in the Jaina Sidhanta Bhaskara and by Dr. Hoernle in the Indian Antiquary (Vol. XX, pp. 341-361 and Vol. XXI pp. 51-84). The pontiffs of this Gaccha, adds Mr. Nahar, generally use the four surnames viz., Nandin, Candra, Kirti, and Bhusana. The table begins with Gautama the first Ganadhara or disciple of Mahavira, who is known as the founder of the Mulasangha by the Digambaris.