Jain Legend : Jain Dharma ka Maulika Itihasa (3): Other Composers / Writers Of Holy Texts

Some of the scholar ācāryas who were contemporary of Ācārya Bhadra Bāhu-II and wrote important religious texts are given below.

1. Vaṭṭakera: This scholar ācārya wrote a scripture like religious text called Mūlācāra in 5th 6th century AD.
2. Śivārya (Śivanandī): This Yāpanīya ācārya wrote a grand and important text called 'Ārādhanā' with 2170 verses.
3. Sarva Nandi: Scholar monk Sarva Nandi of Digambara sect in Vikram 555 in a town called Pātalikā of Pāṇdya dynasty wrote an important text called 'Loka Vibhāga'in Prākṛata.
4. Yati Vṛṣabhācārya: Yati Vṛṣabhācārya commands great respect in the annals of ancient Jains. His two grand texts became extremely popular amongst Jain followers and scholars. The first text is called 'Kaṣāya Prābhṛata Cūrṇi' and the second is called 'Tiloyapaṇṇati'. Many scholars consider him as a ācārya of Vikram 5th - 6th century.

Emergence of a new gaccha 'Hārila gaccha' after the name of epochal-ācārya Hārila

According to the citations by Ācārya Udyotana or Dākṣiṇya Cihna, at the end of his text 'Kuvalayamālā', the chronology of ācāryas belonging to Hārila gaccha is as follows.

1. Epochal: ācārya Harigupta or Hārila, The gaccha was named after him.
2. Devagupta: This ācārya was a popular and great poet. This is mentioned in Kuvalayamālā.
3. Śiva Candra: He went to different temples for venerating idols and arrived in Bhinnamāla and lived for the rest of his life there. Udyotana had cited him as a wish fulfilling tree for the people of Bhinnamala.
4. Yakṣa Datta Gaṇi: He was an influential and respected ācārya. He had six disciples named Nāga, Vṛanda, Mambhata, Durga Agniśarmā and Baṭeśwara.
5. Baṭeśwara: Along with the other five disciples of Yakṣa Datta, he preached at far and wide places and got several temples built. He also got a grand and attractive temple built in a town called Ākāśavapra.
6. Tattvācārya: We do not find any information about his life.
7. Dākṣiṇya Cihna or Udyotana: He wrote the popular text 'Kuvalayamālā'. He had two disciples named Śrīvatsa and Baladeva. Both monks acquired the senior scholar and speaker title (vācaka) and became popular as sons of Jainism.

In the chronology of Udyotana, it is mentioned that he died in Vikram 994.