According to Jain tradition, especially as preserved in Śvetāmbara sources like Ācārya Hemachandra’s Pariśiṣṭaparva:

1. Which Ācārya “misused” the Pūrvas?

• Ārya Sthūlabhadra (Sthulabhadra)

He was a very learned monk and a disciple of Ācārya Bhadrabāhu Svāmī, the last teacher fully knowing all 14 Pūrvas.

• The accounts say that Sthūlabhadra once used the knowledge of the Pūrvas to display miraculous / magical powers (to impress laypeople at a royal court).
• This showing of powers for display, rather than for pure spiritual purpose, is described as “misuse of Pūrva‑jñāna.”
• Because of this, Bhadrabāhu refused at first to teach him the last four Pūrvas, and later agreed only on the strict condition that Sthūlabhadra would never pass those last four Pūrvas to anyone else.
• As a result, Sthūlabhadra taught his own disciples only 10 Pūrvas, and the tradition holds that, step by step, the complete knowledge of the Pūrvas disappeared from the world.

So, the main name explicitly mentioned as having “misused” the Pūrvas is Ārya Sthūlabhadra.

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2. What “magical” or extraordinary elements did the Pūrvas contain?

The Pūrvas were very vast scriptures containing many subjects. Along with deep spiritual topics (soul, karma, knowledge, vows, etc.), they also included sections on extraordinary powers and esoteric sciences. Traditionally, they are said to contain:

1. Vidyās (mantric sciences)

- Special mantras and rituals - Practices by which one could obtain protection, success, or assistance from yakṣas, yakṣiṇīs and other beings

1. Riddhi / Labdhi (extraordinary attainments)

Examples given in Jain literature include: - Moving through the air - Becoming very small or very large - Becoming invisible - Manifesting objects, etc. These are always described as by‑products, not the goal of dharma.

1. Occult and predictive sciences

- Nimitta‑jñāna: omens, signs, prediction of future events - Jyotiṣa / astrology‑type topics: calculations of time, auspicious/inauspicious periods, etc.

1. Yogic and mental powers

- Powerful concentration and meditation methods - Special forms of clairvoyant and telepathic knowledge developed through yoga

1. Specific “Purva” on miracles

- One of the Pūrvas (usually listed around the 10th, often called Vijñāna‑pravāda / Vijjā‑ppavāya etc., depending on language/tradition) is said to deal directly with “knowledge of miracles / extraordinary powers.”

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3. Jain view on such powers

• Jain dharma does not encourage the use of these powers for show, fame, or worldly gain.
• The story of Sthūlabhadra is preserved precisely as a warning:

- Even a great monk, if he uses scriptural knowledge for display, can cause harm to the tradition (here, the loss of the last four Pūrvas).

• True purpose of scriptural knowledge is self‑purification, right faith, right conduct, and liberation (mokṣa)—never mere miracles.