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Nagin J. Shah
In the seventeenth century of Vikrama Era there flourished a great Digambara personality, Banārasīdāsa who was transformed into a saint-poer by Kandakunda s works. Kundakunda's mysticism touched his heart. He derived spiritual inspiration from Kundak unda's powerful mystic words. He composed several works expounding Niscaya-aya. Somewhat earlier in the 16 tli century V. S. Up. Harşavardhana wrote his Adhyatmab He closely followed Kundakunda's Samayasära in ideas an.i expressions as well. Though he was a Svetambara monk, he studied Kundakunda's works and Amrtacandra's commentaries thereon In Padmasundara we find another Svetambara monk contemporary of Banarasidāsa, who was very much influenced by the mystic philosophy of Kundakunda. Thus we have two strong evidences of the study of Kundakunda's works in the Svetāmbara circles in the Middle Ages. In our own days, Shrimad Rajacandra, Svetambara by birth, turned out to be a true follower of the mystic philosophy of Kundakunda. His severe penances coupled with ascetic wisdom point to the fact that he had certainly realised the ideal which Kundakunda advocated and preached in his works.
As we have already stated, Padmasundara was influenced by the works of Kundakunda. In a way, the Jhānacandrodayanāțaka embodies the essence of the philosophy contained in Kundakunda's works. Throughout the work lie closely follows Kundakunda and his commentator Amặtacandra. Some verses are almost identical, in expressions, with the gāthās and slokas from the Pravacanasāra and the Ātmakhyātiçika on the Samayasara. At many places he has versified the passages of the Tattvadipikātikä on the Pravacanasāra. He has bodily borrowed the phrases from the works of Kundakunda and Amrtacandra. In foot-notes I have noted down all the verses that strike comparison with the verses and passages from the works of Kundakunda and Amộtacandra. Sorie instances are given below: J ñānacandrodaja
Pravacanasära न मनोनाई देहो न चापि वाणी कारण
णाहं देहो ण मणो ण चेव वाणी ण कारण तेपाम् । कर्ता न न कारयिता कर्तृणां
तेर्मि । कत्ता ण ण कारयिदा आणुता नानु सन्ताऽस्मि ॥ (५.६२)
णेव कत्तीणं ।। (३.६८) पुदगलमयो नचाईमया न ते पुद्गला:
जाहं पोग्गलमइआ ण ते मया पोग्गला कया कृताः पिण्डम् । दहोऽहं न च तस्मादथ
विंड । तम्हा हि ण दहाऽहं कत्ता वा कर्ता तस्य देहस्य ॥ (५.६३)
तस्स देहरस ॥ (२.६१) Jñanacundrodayu
Atmakhyati अज्ञान विजम्भणेन तमसा रज्जो भुना
ज्ञानान्मृगतृष्णको जलधिया घावन्ति भ्र पस्त्वज्ञानेन मरीचिकासु हरिणा धावन्ति पातुं मृगा, अज्ञानात्तमसि द्रयन्ति भुजपाथोधिया। अज्ञानेन विमोहितैक मनसा
गाभ्यासेन रज्जो जनाः । अज्ञानाच्च 1. Published in L. D. Series No. 34.