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Preface
eloquence (vāgmitva) that engendered admiration for his truthfulness and straightforwardness even in the minds of his adversaries.
Ācārya Narendrasena in Siddhāntasārasamgraha2, a widely read Sanskrit text dealing with the seven substances (tattvas), avers that only the most fortunate human beings get access to the words of Acũrya Samantabhadra:
श्रीमत्समन्तभद्रस्य देवस्यापि वचोऽनघम् । YIfUHI Gaf4 26-11 are aer yat: 11 11 11 Just as the attainment of human birth is difficult, it is extremely rare to get access to the incontrovertible words of the Most Learned Ācārya Samantrabhadra. सुदुर्लभमपि प्राप्तं तत्कर्मप्रशमादिह । 7 THAT HTETET E 67 à RT: 11 12 11 Only when the inauspicious (aśubha) karmas of a man get to quiescence is he able to come face-to-face with the holy words of Acārya Samantrabhadra. Those who fail to adopt the path of piety even after exposure to his words can only be said to have been overwhelmed by delusion.
Ācārya Samantabhadra has not only been termed a brilliant grammarian, logician and philosopher, he has been recognized as an unmatched disputant, and a great preacher of the Jaina doctrine. Ācārya Subhacandra in Jñānārņavaḥ3 has likened the poetic compositions of Svāmi Samantabhadra to the bright rays of the sun.
Ācārya Jinasena, author of Harivansapurāņa4, has likened the expositions of Ācārya Samantabhadra to the words of Lord Mahāvīra:
जीवसिद्धिविधायीह कृतयुक्त्यनुशासनम् । 29: 44746 pag airpla facand 11 29 11 The words of Ācārya Samantabhadra, the composer of Jīvasiddhi
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