Siddhasen Diwakarsuri

In the court of King Vikramaditya of Ujjayini, there lived a highly learned scholar named Siddhasen. He was known for his pride and arrogance in winning debates and discussions on scriptures. He boasted that he would become a disciple of anyone who could defeat him. One day, he heard about the renowned logician Vruddhavadisuriji and challenged him to a debate. Surprisingly, Siddhasen was defeated, and he humbly accepted initiation from Vruddhavadiji, becoming Muni Kumudchandra.

Over time, Siddhasen rose to become an acharya (head of a mendicant group) and was renamed Siddhasensuri. He possessed mystical powers, including producing gold and raising an army through spells. He aided King Devpal of Karmar village against King Vijayvarma's aggression, earning the title "Diwakar" or "Bringer of Light." King Devpal greatly admired him and provided him with luxuries, like riding elephants and palanquins.

Siddhasen's guru, Acharya Vruddhavadisuriji, was concerned that this behavior would undermine the principles of restraint and renunciation. He visited Siddhasensuri in Karmar village and pointed out a linguistic error in a sentence, demonstrating that even scholars could be corrected. Siddhasensuri was remorseful and sought forgiveness.

Once, Siddhasensuri wanted to translate Jain scriptures from Prakrit to Sanskrit. His guru advised against this, as it might disrespect the Tirthankars (spiritual leaders). Siddhasensuri realized his mistake and practiced penance for 12 years.

After this period, a yogi in a Shiva temple miraculously transferred whip marks from himself onto the palace queens. King Vikramaditya, intrigued, visited the temple, where the yogi composed a powerful hymn. An idol of Avanti Parshwanath emerged, revealing the yogi as Siddhasensuri. His fame extended beyond this incident, with significant contributions to logic through his works like Nyayavtar and Sanmatitark. Siddhasensuri's meticulous analysis introduced Nayvad (theory of partial truth) for the first time.