Amrita Collected Papers by A M Ghatage

SR No.: 006968
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 530
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 10 MB

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Amrita
little avail for historical purpose; and often they will have to be summarily rejected for obvious reasons.
Besides these stories we have some more reliable information about Kundakunda. He appears to have borne a number of names, and a late record attributes to him as many as five different names, viz., Kundakunda, Padmanandi, Gridhrapiccha, Vakragriva Elacharya. But from other sources we know that some of these names were foisted on him on account of some confusion with later writers. In a popular colophon to the Tatvārthādhigamasūtra of Umāsvāti, we find the author to bear the name of Gridhrapiccha, and one of the traditions makes him a pupil of Kundakunda. So it may be that in later times the name of the pupil might have been transferred to the famous teacher. Similarly the other two names of Elacharya and Vakragriva were those of two later Acharyas, who, being less known, were possibly merged in the personality of this famous philosopher. This will explain, to some extent, the long list of books attributed by tradition to him, which probably contains the names of the works of these later writers. But nothing definite can be put forth, as these works are found only in their names. The real name of our author appears to be Padmanandin, while Kundakunda the better known of the two, is said by tradition, to be received by him, from his native village called Kondakunda.
It can now be taken as proved that Kundakunda was born in South India, even though one late tradition makes him a resident of a town, Varapura, in the country of Malwa. The exact place of his birth is variously given as Kondakunda or Hemagrama, the latter of which is identified with Ponnur. His father is said to be Kundashresti and his mother Kundalata; the names clearly showing their imaginary origin. We know nothing of his childhood and later life. He must have taken early to religious studies and soon obtained proficiency in them. His teacher is given as Jinachandra by the Pattavali of the Nandhisangha; while Jayasena, his commentator gives. kumaranandi as his teacher's name. According to another tradition Kundakunda himself was the teacher of Umäsväti, the well-known Jaina philosopher and theologion, who wrote the first authoritative book on Jaina philosophy in Sanskrit. According to a tradition preserved by Jayasena, and following him noted by Balachandra, and Brahmädeva, that in his later life, Kundakunda appears to have been associated with a king called Siva Kumāra" Mahārāja, for whose instruction he is said to have composed some of his works.