The Householder's Dharma (Ratnakaranda-Sravakachara)

Of the author’s life we know but little; he was a native of Kanchinagari city of Kanchi—probably modern Conjeeverum—and was endowed with exceptional literary and philosophical talent, as is evident from his works. On being ordained to the order of monks, he began to lead the life of homelessness enjoined on Jaina saints, and went about preaching the doctrines of Jainism, an inscription at Sravana Belgola showing, in his own words, that he successfully carried on discussion even in places so widely apart as Dacca in Bengal and Kararh in the Surat district. That he was a brilliant grammarian, poet, logician and philosopher, is not open to dispute; his writings have always commanded the greatest respect from his readers, and great acharyas spiritual teachers/leaders, like Jinasenacharya, the famous author of the monumental Maha-Purana, and other learned writers have offered him salutations at the commencement of their own works.

The best known incident of the life of our author, and the one which brought him immortal fame, was a miracle which was wrought at Varanasi (now known as Benares). He was asked by the raja king of that place to prostrate himself before a certain idol in one of the non-Jaina temples of the city, when he boldly declared that the image would not be able to endure his salutation, because of his being a believer in the true Deva God. He was thereupon forced to bow before the image when all of a sudden the idol burst, revealing a beautiful pratibimba image/reflection of Chandra Prabhu Bhagwan, the eighth of the holy tirthamkaras ford-makers/spiritual guides, to the wonder and astonishment of all present. This