Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## Introduction
Are the Shatkhandagama Sutras also Churnisutras? Although no other Acharya has mentioned the Sutras of the Pakhandagama as Churnisutras, we have not seen it, however, in his Dhavala commentary, the author himself, Acharya Viresena, has mentioned the Shatkhandagama Sutra as a Churnisutra in one place. In the fourth Vedanakhand of the Shatkhandagama, some Gatha Sutras in the form of Beejpad have come, and many explanatory Sutras have been composed by Acharya Bhootbali for those Gatha Sutras. While commenting on those Gatha Sutras, the Dhavalakar writes:
"Tiya' idi vutte ohinaanavaraneya prohidasanavaraneya-laahantaraaiyaanam anubhagam pekkhiduun annorenen samaanaanam gahanam. Katham samaanattam navvade? Uvari bhaenamaanachurinisuttaado."
(Dhavala, Tamra, p. 473.2)
That is, how is the knowledge of the similarity of the sections of Avadhijnanaavaran, Avhidarshanavaran and Laabhantaraaya obtained from the Gatha-read 'Tiya' word? In answer to this question, it is said that the knowledge of the said similarity is obtained from the Churnisutra to be said later.
Just as Acharya Yativrishabha has composed the present Churnisutra on the Gatha Sutras in the form of Beejpad of Kasayapahuḍka, it is known that there were also Gatha Sutras in the form of Beejpad of Mahakammapayadīpahuḍka, and most of them were obtained by Bhootbali from Dharasenacharya, and relying on them, the Shatkhandagama Sutras were composed. This is the reason why Viresenacharya has mentioned them as 'Churnisutra'.
What kind of Gatha Sutras were these Beejpad, here is an example of them:
"Saadam jasucc-de kam te-a-ve-manu-anantagunheena.
Micch ke-yam saadam chiriya-anantaanu-sanjalana."
In this Gatha, the desired Karma-Prakritis are indicated by words in the form of one or two letters. For example, 'De' for Devagati, 'Ka' for Karmanasharira and 'Te' for Taijasasharira. Based on these three Gathas, Acharya Bhootbali has composed sixty-four Sutras.
Some Gatha Sutras of this type of Beejpad are found only in the Vedana and Varganakhand.
## The time of Gunadhar and Yativrishabha
The editors of Jayadhavala have considered a lot in the introduction of its first part to determine the time of Acharya Gunadhar and Yativrishabha, which need not be repeated here. Keeping all that in mind, in my opinion - as mentioned at the beginning of the introduction - Acharya Gunadhar was much earlier than Dharasenacharya, at a time when the reading and recitation of Mahakammapayadīpahuḍka was flowing uninterruptedly. And for this reason, his time should not be later than V.N. 683, but about two hundred years earlier.
Although we do not have adequate means to determine the exact time of Gunadharacharya, one of the Sanghas established by Acharya Arhadvali is named 'Gunadhar...