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PREFACE : LXXXVII
Kundakunda's period is not earlier than the 6th century. The "Markarā' stone-inscriptions that showed that Ācārva Kundakunda was from a much earlier period have been proved to be false.?" After this event (of proving the Markarā'scriptures as false), there is no other inscription dated earlier than the 9th or 10"" century that mentions either Kundakunda or his contribution. Again, the absence of any commentaries on the works of Kundakundācārya other than those by Amrtacandra (circa 10" century), that too at a time which was known as the commentary age, shows that Ācārya Kundakunda was of a sufficiently later period. Another aspect that needs consideration is that the concept of fourteen Gunasthānas fourteen stages of spiritual development is clearly found mentioned in the literature of Kundakunda. From this, too, the conclusion that Kundakunda is an Ācārya of a period after the 5th century gains ground, because the concept of fourteen Gunasthāna and that of Saptabhangi (Sevenfold predication) had clearly developed in the 5th century, the fact that we have mentioned earlier, too, in this essay." Thus, the attempt to prove Kundakunda as an Ācārya of the 15 century is neither borne out by any stone-inscriptional evidence nor from any literary one. In deciding the period of
Acārya Kundakunda, we are in agreement with Prof. M.A.Dhaky that he is an Acārya of a period after the 6th century or thereabouts.73 From this it can be said that the verses of Mahā-pratyākhyāna
70
Aspects Of Jainology - Vol. 3, Prof. M.A.Dhaky, Dalsukhbhai Malavaniya Felicitation Vol. I, p. 190. Preface to Purusārthasiddhyupāya, nathuram Premi, p. 4. Please see p. XXXIII of this preface. Aspects Of Jainology - Vol. 3, Prof. M.A.Dhaky, Dalsukhbhai Malavaniya Felicitation Vol. 1, p. 196.
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