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JAIN HISTORY LITERATURE and SECTS
E02 - Jain Scriptures and Literature
Living and non-living Agent and his action Good deeds and bad deeds Inflow of Karma Stoppage of Karma Shedding of Karma Bondage Liberation
Total and pure knowledge If one can understand this text, which is mainly written from an absolute point of view, then his understanding of soul's true nature will widen. He will thereafter believe that ultimately the good deeds and bad deeds both are to be given up to obtain right faith and ultimately salvation. The ultimate goal is the purification of the soul to its own innate form. To achieve this goal, one has to use instruments of right conduct such as penance, vows, prayers, etc., which are not to be considered as total fulfillment. Ächärya Kunda-Kunda Not much is been known about his life. He was born in a small village named Korari in the District of Guntoor in Andhra Pradesha, India. He renounced the world and became a monk at the age of 11, and after 33 years of meditation and penance, at the age of 44, he was bestowed the honor of Acharya. He wrote in Mägadhi and Präkrit languages. He lived to the age of 95, and transferred his Ächärya status to his disciple Umäsvämi (Digambar tradition). Ächärya Jaysen wrote in his commentary of Samaysar that through his spiritual powers, he traveled through his Audärika-Sharira
to Videha-Kshetra and listened to the sermons of Simandhar swami to enlighten his knowledge. Tattvärtha Sutra (Non-ägam Literature)
Most of the original sacred literature of the Jains is written in the Ardha-Mägadhi language. This was the public language in those days. However, eventually times changed and Sanskrit became the royal and elite language. The Jain scholars also started writing their religious and other texts in Sanskrit. Tattvärtha Sutra is the first such Jain text in terse aphoristic form. It has two more names: Tattvärtha Adhigama sutra (manual for knowledge of true nature of things or realities) and Moksha Shästra (tenets of salvation). However, it is popularly known as the Tattvärtha Sutra. The name Tattvärtha Sutra consists of three Sanskrit words: Tattva (true nature), Artha (things or realities) and sutra (aphorisms of few words). It may, therefore, be called "Aphoristic Text on the true nature of realities," matching the content of the text. There is no definite information about when this text was composed. However, it is agreed that it must have been composed during the age of elegant aphorisms. The early Christian centuries have almost every philosophical or religious system in the east putting their tenets in short and sweet form. Brahm-Sutra, Yoga-Sutra, Vaisheshika-Sutra, Nyaya-Sutra etc., represent aphoristic texts of different systems. Tattvärtha Sutra represents the aphoristic text of the Jain system. It must have
been composed during 200-400 AD. Acharya Shri Umäsväti's or Umasvämi's creation of the Tattvärtha Sutra is is the most complete assembly of Jain scriptures accepted by all the sects. Not much is known about the details of his life. He was born in a Brahmin family in the village Nayogradhika. His father was Swati and his mother was Vatti. He renounced the world under Acharya Ghoshnandi (Shvetämbar tradition) or Acharya Kund Kunda (Digambar tradition). According to the inscriptions found by the archeologists, he is said to be from either the early second century AD or late first century AD.
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Compendium of Jainism - 2015
