Acharya Hasti Mala
In Vikram 11th century, an influential ācārya by the name Śānti Sūri of Dhāraprada gaccha existed. According to a rock inscription of Vikram 1084 in a Jain temple of Rāyasīṇā village in District Jālora we infer that Śānti Sūri's other name was Śānti Bhadra, His two compositions namely 'Jīva Vicāra Prakaraṇa' and 'Uttrādhyayana ṭīkā' are available today. Both these compositions indicate that Śānti Sūri was a profound scholar of both Prākrata and Saṃskṛta and his scriptural and doctrine knowledge were also deep.
According to the author of 'Prabhāvaka caritra', Śānti Sūri was born to Śrīmāla lineage Dhanadeva and his wife Dhanaśrī in village Unnatāyu. Village Unnatāyu is situated in the west of Anhillapura Pāṭaṇa, capital of Gujarat province at that time. The brave king Bhīma used to rule Anhillapura Pāṭaṇa, capital of Gujarat when Śānti Sūri was born. At that time the influence and popularity of Ācārya Vijaya Sūri of Dhāraprada gaccha was spread far and wide.
The most respectable Dhanadeva named his son as Bhīma. One day Ācārya Vijaya Sūri wandering in villages arrived in Unnatāyu village. He saw child Bhīma. Seeing the auspicious signs of Bhīma, Ācārya Vijaya Sūri felt that this child would be fit to become the ācārya of congregation and carry Jainism to greater heights.
Ācārya Vijaya Sūri went to the home of respectable Dhanadeva and begging his son Bhīma in service of the congregation. Dhanadeva considered it as an honour and put his son Bhīma at the feet of Ācārya Vijaya Sūri.
Ācārya Vijaya Sūri started imparting wholesome education to Bhīma. After some time, thinking of Bhīma as fit, initiated him into Śramaṇa monkhood. Bhīma was named as Śāntimuni. Śāntimuni started learning all the scriptures very diligently and faithfully. Gradually he acquired knowledge and expertise in all arts, skills and in depth knowledge of scriptures.
Ācārya Vijaya Sūri found his able disciple Śāntimuni an expert in all arts, skills and ready to assume the responsibilities of the congregation. Therefore on an auspicious time, he anointed Śāntimuni as ācārya. After handing over charge of his entire congregation to his able disciple, Vijaya Sūri started observing saṃllekhanā and died.
After his ascend to the post of ācārya, Śāntimuni defeated a number of expert scholars in scriptural discourses and significantly enhanced the prestige of Jainism continuously. His reputation kept on increasing in all directions. He was decorated with the title of 'Kavindra' or king of poets by King Bhīma of Anhillapura Pāṭaṇa. He thus started being counted amongst the greatest and respected poets of that time.
During the period of Śānti Sūri, a popular poet by the name Dhanapāla used to live in Avanti Pradeśa. At that time, a great scholar Ācārya Mahendra Sūri was wandering in that area preaching Jainism. As per the directions of Ācārya Mahendra Sūri, his disciples once showed germs being born after two days in curd to directly poet Dhanapāla. On seeing this, Dhanapāla presented himself in the service of Ācārya Mahendra Sūri and became a firm believer after listening to Ācārya Mahendra Sūri's sermons. After this, Dhanpāla composed 'Tilakamaṃjarī'. After completion of that text, he informed Dhanpāla to send this text to Ācārya Śānti Sūri for further improvements.
Dhanapāla went to Anhillapura and requested Śānti Sūri to visit Ujjainī. Accepting Dhanapāla's request, Śānti Sūri arrived in Mālawā Pradeśa. From time to time Śānti Sūri defeated 84 scholars visiting Mālawā Pradeśa. Impressed by the unique quality of debating, deep scholarship and speaking of Śānti Sūri; the king of Dhārā decorated Śānti Sūri with the title 'Vādi Vaitāla'. He also arranged money for the construction of many Jain temples in Gujarat. The king also requested Śānti Sūri to edit and improve 'Tilakamaṃjarī' composed by Dhanapala. So Śānti Sūri edited and improvised 'Tilakamaṃjarī'. Seeing the improvised version of 'Tilakamaṃjarī', King Bhoja became very happy and donated 12 lakh gold coins for the construction of Jain temples.
After unfurling the flag of Jainism in Mālawā Pradeśa and decorated with the title 'Vādi Vaitāla', Śānti Sūri returned to Pāṭana nagara in Gujarat.
On reaching Pāṭana nagara, Śānti Sūri heard from his disciple the episode of the Padama, son of a respectable Jinadeva being bitten by a snake and being buried in land. Śānti Sūri went to the home of Jinadeva and asked him to show Padama bitten by the snake. They all went to the cremation ground and showed Padama after taking him out of the ditch dug to bury him. Śānti Sūri remembered and recited the Amrita tattva and touched the body of Padama. By shear touch of Śānti Sūri, the poison of snake bite was completely removed and Padama stood up immediately. Jinadeva's happiness had no bounds. This episode enhanced the influence of Jainism and Śānti Sūri not only in Gujarat but in far off places as well.
Serving like this the cause of Jainism, in the end Śānti Sūri anointed his three scholar disciples, namely, Vīra Sūri, Śīlabhadra Sūri and Sarvadeva Sūri as ācāryas. Afterwards he proceeded towards Ujjaintagiri with a laity Sāda. On reaching Ujjaintagiri, he observed saṃllekhanā with fasting for twenty five days and died on Kārtika Śukla 9th of Vikram 1096.
'Tapāgaccha paṭṭāvali' in 'Prabhāvaka caritra' has a somewhat different description of the above. 'Tapāgaccha paṭṭāvali' gives that Śānti Sūri predicted in relation to the fall of Dhulakota in Vikram 1097 and had 700 Śrīmāla families taken out of the mouth of death. Later on in Vikram 111 he died in the village Kānoda.
Ācārya Ajjaṇandi (Āryanandi)
In Vikram 8th 9th centuries, a great and influential ācārya by the Ācārya Ajjaṇandi (Āryanandi) existed. He rejuvenated almost the extinct Jainism in Tamil speaking land. In 7th century AD, Tiru Jṅānasambandhara, Tiru Appara and other Śaiva saints in their quest to preach Śaiva religion, received the royal patronage of many rulers there. They then started preaching Śaiva religion boldly and inflicted very heavy injuries / casualties on Jains. These grave acts of theirs resulted in almost extinction of Jainism in Tamil speaking land.
By creating posts like Tevārama, Jṅānasambandhara and other Śaiva saints started preaching very profusely against Jains and Buddhists. These posts created against Jains started preaching Śaiva religions from door to door in villages and towns everywhere. This organized and collective effort created extreme hatred against Jains and Jain monks. It seems that for almost half a century, in certain strongholds of Jains even entry of Jain monks became impossible.
Under such grave situation for Jains, a great monk, Ācārya Ajjaṇandi took the brave initiative of rehabilitating the existence of Jainism in areas where none existed even to take the name of Jains or Jineśwara.
Ācārya Ajjaṇandi started undertaking his wandering trips in those troubled areas and started preaching Jainism. He tried to bring the ray of hope amongst Jains which had been extinguished over the last fifty years through his sermons and preaching. A new wave of hope spread amongst Jains there. He wandered in all areas of Tamilnadu from the coast in north and west to south. He had the figures of Tīrthaṃkara s and yakṣas engraved on many hillocks.
He started his mission from North Arcot and proceeded sequentially to strongholds of Śaivas in Madura and wandering through villages, in district Tinneveli and the southern end of India in Travancore. He reconverted many Jains to Jainism.
Bearing all types of pains and difficulties in absolutely unfavourable conditions and in strongholds of Śaivas, he wandered preaching throughout Tamilnadu and brought a ray of hope in hope ridden Jains there. His courageous and brave efforts in rejuvenating Jainism and his invaluable services to Jainism will always be remembered with highest honour and deep respect.
