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Introduction
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01. Semi-explanatories (Vārtika) are Cūrņi aphorisms (like
Rājavārtika) 02. Commentaries (Tīkā) as by Vīrasena. It is based on short
commentaries (Vịtti). Systematic Explanatory (Paddhati) refers to discussions on
aphorisms and short commentary as by Sāmakunda. 04. Registry (Pañjikā) of odd (or even) syllables.
[No mention of any book in this category is there).
This number of commentaries of KP is more than SK as pointed out by Jain. How one can, then, say that KP is neither important nor popular? Of course, its level of contents is advanced which leads to the charge of uncommonality by western scholars. However, the level of texts depends upon who are their potential readers.
The author of KP: Gunadhara and his period
Ācārya Guņadhara is the author of KP as indicated by Vīrasena in two places during (i) homage verse 6 and (ii) Ācārya lineage. He seems to be the first scripture preserver after Lohācārya who is the last in 683-year post-Mahaviran ācārya lineage as per TP. Nothing is known about his parentage and initiation etc. even to Vīrasena and later Indranandi, but he had memory and proficiency in pre-canons in part specially the fifth pre-canon of Iñāna-pravāda. Secondly, he must have knowledge of Mahā-karma-praksti of second pre-canon like Dharasena, because he has treated Karma theory with respect to deluding Karma in his KP. His proficiency in MKPP can be judged from the fact that he has described some chapters in single or few verses indicating that MKPP knowledge was quite popular in his
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