Mahavidya Vidambanam

Author(s): Vadindra Bhatt, Anandpurna, Bhuvansundarsuri, Mangesh R Telang
Publisher: Central Library

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got the first fair copy of it made and placed on record. This is all that we can know about Bhuvauasundara from his own commentary.
Bhuvanasundara has said that he was a pupil of Somasundara sûri belong. ing to the Tapagachha. We shall explain what is meant by Tapúgachha, The Jains have two Sanipradayas (schools) viz Svetá mbara and Digambara. Among the Svetámbaras generally there are 84 Gachhas or sects, the number has increased. A Gachha means a group i. e, a congregation. Some of these Gachhas received their names from the village or town where one of the great Acharyas flourished, some were named after their founder and others bore their names from some distinguishing quality (fafTetu) of their founders. The tradition regarding the name Tapágachha is as follows:One Jagatchandra sûri took the vow of observing Achámla (in Gujarati ET) tapa. When he successfully performed the tapa for 12 years, the king of Medapata (Mewad) conferred in Samvat 1285 (A.D. 1229) the Biruda (titie) of Tape on him and since then the Gachha, which was successively known as Vatagachcha and Brihadagachcha came to be called Tapá-gachha. At present the principal Gachhas among the Svetambara Jainas are Tapa, Khara. tara and Anchalika.
The Harshapur mentioned by Bhuvanasundara cannot be identified with any modern village or town for want of sufficient particulars. There was a town called Harshapura, from a former Acharya of which place one Gachha came to be called Harshiapurîya Gachha. But the present name of tha town is not known. However there are two Villages in the Jodhpur Territory, one called Harasor (16 miles from Degana), and one called Harasolá (4 miles from Gothana). There is another Harshapur the Modern Harsol, which is a village in the Prantij subdivision of the Ahmedabad District and situated 30 miles North-West of Ahmedabad. All these three contain Jaina temples, but as the temples at the last two places are modern, and tie temple at the first place Harasor is old, it is probable that this Harasor is the Harshiapura of Bhuvanasundara.
From a Jain Work named Gurvávali in Sanskrita verse, we cau trace Bhuvansundara as follows:-- Devasundara sûri (A. D. 1340-1385) was the 50th head of the Tapágachha sect. He had five pupils, Jnanaságara, Kulamandana, Gunaratna, Soma
1 षट्तर्कीपरितर्ककर्कशमतिश्चारित्रराजो यतिस्वैविद्योत्तमरत्नशेखरमुनिर्वादीन्द्रवृन्दाग्रणीः । एतौद्वावपि शुद्धबुद्धिबिभवौ टीकामिमां सादरं संशोध्य प्रथमप्रतौ गुणयुतौ संस्थापयामासतुः॥
महाविद्यावि० टीका पृ. १५० 2 The definition of a Gachha is “41971afaagari: €3:1") 3 See Munisundara's Gurvavali, pagee 69 to 98.
4 He is the author of the Shad-darshana-samuchaya-Vritti and Kriya-ratnasamucbaya (A. D. 1409).