Acharya Kundakunda

SR No.: 201050
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee
Publication Year: 2010
Total Pages: 2
Language: English
Classification: Article, Jaina_Education, & 0_Jaina_education_Story
File Size: 1 MB

Page 1

52
GANADHARS AND ACHARYAS
मंगलं भगवान वीरो, मंगलं गौतमो गणि ।
मंगलं कुन्दकुन्दार्यो, जैन धर्मोस्तु मंगलं ॥
mangalam bhagaväna viro, mangalam gautamo gani |
mangalam kundakundäryo, jaina dharmostu mangalam ||
Bhagawan Mahavir is auspicious; Ganadhar Gautam Swami is auspicious;
Acharya Kunda-kunda is auspicious; Jain religion is auspicious.
The great spiritual saint Kunda-Kundacharya occupies the highest place in the tradition of Jain Acharyas. He is remembered immediately after Bhagawän Mahävir and the preceptor Gautam Ganadhar as an auspicious blessing. Everyday, Digambar Jains recite the couplet with the three adorable reverentially before starting the study of religious texts. Jain monks feel honored in being included in the tradition of Kunda-Kundächärya.
In the southern state of Tamilnadu in India, atop a hill known as Ponnur Malai, on a large stone under a certain Champa tree, pilgrims may stumble upon an engraved pair of footprints (Charan). These footprints are symbolic of a thinker who, nearly two thousand years ago, composed some of the most influential philosophical books. Generations of scholars can remember the exact day of their first encounter with this thinker's spiritual masterpiece, the Samay-sär
Acharya Kunda-kunda is one of the most famous Jain Ächäryas. He is a great organizer of the highly complex concepts of Jain philosophy. He is the celebrated author of five renowned books:
Samay-sär (Treatise on the True Self)
10 Acharya Kunda-kunda
•
Pravachan-sär (Treatise of Preaching)
Niyama-sar (Treatise on Rules of Conduct)
Panchästikäya (Treatise on Five Universal Substances)
• Ashta-pahud (Eight Steps), a collection of eight texts
All his works are written in an ancient dialect known as Saurseni Präkrit which is similar to Ardhamagadhi Prakrit. The organizing of Jain ideas into certain relationships and structures, taken for granted in recent centuries, was a product of his genius. So extraordinary was this idea that many other books written in this style by his pupils and other Jain scholars are popularly ascribed to him. In the Digambar tradition, he is praised immediately after Lord Mahavir and the preceptor Gautam-swämi in the auspicious blessing
•
·
Jain Exication international
JAIN STORY BOOK