A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c8.44

c8.44

1 It is not a rule that on a work being lost, its contents get forgotten. 2 It appears that originally we had 54 *uttama-puruṣas* as is borne out by *Samavāya* (s. 54) and Śīlācārya's *Caüpanna-mahāpurusacariya* (composd in *Saṃvat* 933), and it is Hemacandra Sūri who was probably the 1st to have dealt with 63 *śalākāpuruṣas* by adding 9 *Prativāsudevas* to the list of 54 great men viz., 24 *Tīrthaṅkaras*, 12 *Cakravartins*, 9 *Baladevas* and 9 *Vāsudevas*. 3 Cf. "से किं तं गमं? २ दिट्ठिवाओ, अगमिअं कालिअं सुयं"-*Nandi* (s. 44). In this connection, in *Nandicuṇṇi* (pp. 46-47) it is said: "आदिमज्झावसाणे वा किंचि विसेस-जुतं सुत्तं दुगादिसतगसो पदिज्जमाणं गमिअं भण्णति, तं च एवंविहं उस्सण्णं दिट्ठिवाए." 4 See my intro. (p. xiii) to *Gaṇitatilaka* published along with Siṃhatilaka Sūri's com. in G. O. Series as vol. LXXVIII. 5 Cf. the following verses occurring in the *Āyāraniijjutti*:-