Kundakunda
Encyclopedia
Kundakunda is a celebrated Jain
Acharya
, Jain scholar monk, 2nd century CE, composer of spiritual classics such as: Samayasara
, Niyamasara
, Pancastikayasara
, Pravacanasara, Atthapahuda and Barasanuvekkha. He occupies the highest place in the tradition of the Jain acharya
s.
He belonged to the Mula Sangh
order. His proper name was Padmanandi, he is popularly referred to as Kundakunda because he was born in a place named Kaundakunda in south India. He is closely associated with the Digambara
sect, also in recent decades, his books have become popular among Svetambara
s also. He was known also as:
For Digambaras, his name has auspicious significance and occupies third place after Bhagavan Mahavira and Gautama Ganadhara in the sacred litany. Kundakunda's singular contribution consists in his compiling a number of liturgical tracts and creating several masterly doctrinal works of his own, which provided a parallel canon for the Digambara tradition. This earned him the everlasting gratitude of the Digambaras, who have for centuries invoked his name together with that of Mahavira and his chief ganadhara Indrabhuti Gautama, placing him ahead even of Bhadrabahu, Visakha, and some forty other elders (sthaviras ) in the lineage, thus making him virtually the founder of the Digambara sect, as illustrated by the following verse:
Kundakunda wrote in Shauraseni Prakrit. Amongst the modern followers of Kundakunda, three names are remarkable, Banarasidasa, a 16th century lay poet from Agra who began his spiritual quest after reading kundakunda's "Samayasara"; Rajachandra, the Gujarati merchant who trod famously on the spiritual path highlighted by Acarya Kundakunda; and Kanji Swami
who converted from Sventambar Monk to a Digamabar follower and preached Kundkund's "Samaysara" and other books passionately for fifty years.
It has been written in various Jain literature that Aacharya Kundkund has written '84 Pahurs' but most of them are missing time by time. The most famous of them is 'Samaya Pahur' also known as 'SamayaSaar'.
Other than this are Pravachanpahur, Ashtapahur, Lingpahur, Sheelpahur, Niyampahur etc.
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
Acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
, Jain scholar monk, 2nd century CE, composer of spiritual classics such as: Samayasara
Samayasara
' is a famous Jain text by Acharya Kundakunda.Its ten chapters discuss the nature of jiva , its attachment to karmas and moksha....
, Niyamasara
Niyamasara
Niyamasara is a 1st Century CE spiritual treatise by Kundakunda described by its commentators as the Bhagavat Shastra. It expounds the path of liberation.-Subject matter:...
, Pancastikayasara
Pancastikayasara
Pañcastikayasara, or the essence of reality, is a Digambara text by Kundakunda is part of his trilogy, known as the prahbrta-traya or the nataka-traya. Kundakunda explains the Jaina concepts of Ontology and Ethics...
, Pravacanasara, Atthapahuda and Barasanuvekkha. He occupies the highest place in the tradition of the Jain acharya
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an acharya is a guide or instructor in religious matters; founder, or leader of a sect; or a highly learned man or a title affixed to the names of learned men...
s.
He belonged to the Mula Sangh
Mula Sangh
Mula Sangh is an ancient Jain monastic order . Mula literally means the "root" or the original order.Mula-Sangh has been the main Digambar Jain order. Today the Digambar Jain tradition is synonymous with Mula Sangha. The great Acharya Kundakunda is associated with Mula Sangh...
order. His proper name was Padmanandi, he is popularly referred to as Kundakunda because he was born in a place named Kaundakunda in south India. He is closely associated with the Digambara
Digambara
Digambara "sky-clad" is one of the two main sects of Jainism. "Sky-clad" has many different meaning and associations throughout Indian religions. Many representations of deities within these traditions are depicted as sky-clad, e.g. Samantabhadra/Samantabhadrī in Yab-Yum...
sect, also in recent decades, his books have become popular among Svetambara
Svetambara
The Śvētāmbara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambar. Śvētāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked...
s also. He was known also as:
- Padmanandi
- Elacarya
- Vakragriva
- Grddhapiccha
For Digambaras, his name has auspicious significance and occupies third place after Bhagavan Mahavira and Gautama Ganadhara in the sacred litany. Kundakunda's singular contribution consists in his compiling a number of liturgical tracts and creating several masterly doctrinal works of his own, which provided a parallel canon for the Digambara tradition. This earned him the everlasting gratitude of the Digambaras, who have for centuries invoked his name together with that of Mahavira and his chief ganadhara Indrabhuti Gautama, placing him ahead even of Bhadrabahu, Visakha, and some forty other elders (sthaviras ) in the lineage, thus making him virtually the founder of the Digambara sect, as illustrated by the following verse:
- mangalam bhagavan Virah, mangalam Gautamo ganih,
- mangalam Kundakundadyah, Jainadharmo 'stu mangalam.
Works
The works attributed to Kundakunda, all of them in Prakrit, can be divided in three groups. The first group is a collection of ten bhaktis (devotional prayers), short compositions in praise of the acaryas (Acaryabhakti ), the scriptures (Srutabhakti ), the mendicant conduct (Caritrabhakti ), and so forth. They form the standard liturgical texts used by the Digambaras in their daily rituals and bear close resemblance to similar texts employed by the Svetambaras, suggesting the possibility of their origin in the canonical period prior to the division of the community. The second group comprises four original works described as "The Essence" (sara )— namely, the Niyamasara (The Essence of the Restraint, or the mendicant discipline, in 187 verses), the Pancastikayasara (The Essence of the Five Existents, in 153 verses), the Samayasara (The Essence of Self-Realization, in 439 verses), and the Pravacanasara (The Essence of the Teaching, in 275 verses), all of which, because of their nonconventional or absolute (niscayanaya ) approach, have exerted a tremendous influence not only on the Digambara psyche but, as will be seen in Chapter VI, even on some of the leading members of the Svetambara community, both old and new. The last group consists of eight short texts called Prabhrta (Pkt. pahuda , i.e., a gift or a treatise), probably compilations from some older sources, on such topics as the right view (Darsanaprabhrta , in 36 verses), right conduct (Caritraprabhrta , in 44 verses), the scripture (Sutraprabhrta , in 27 verses), and so forth. Dr. A. N. Upadhye in his critical edition of the Pravacanasara has examined at great length the problems concerning the date and author-ship of these and other works attributed to Kundakunda and has placed him in the middle of the 2nd century AD.Kundakunda wrote in Shauraseni Prakrit. Amongst the modern followers of Kundakunda, three names are remarkable, Banarasidasa, a 16th century lay poet from Agra who began his spiritual quest after reading kundakunda's "Samayasara"; Rajachandra, the Gujarati merchant who trod famously on the spiritual path highlighted by Acarya Kundakunda; and Kanji Swami
Kanji Swami
1889-1980) was a Jain scholar, philosopher and spiritual leader. He was the founder of the Kanji Panth within the Digambar Jain tradition. He significantly influenced the practice of swadhyaya among the Jain laity....
who converted from Sventambar Monk to a Digamabar follower and preached Kundkund's "Samaysara" and other books passionately for fifty years.
External links
It has been written in various Jain literature that Aacharya Kundkund has written '84 Pahurs' but most of them are missing time by time. The most famous of them is 'Samaya Pahur' also known as 'SamayaSaar'.
Other than this are Pravachanpahur, Ashtapahur, Lingpahur, Sheelpahur, Niyampahur etc.