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87 to 156 C.E. Soon thereafter, Saint Gunabhadra, drawing on the same source of Dharasena, complied a second work "called Kaṣayaprabhṛta. Both these early texts deal with Jaina theories of bondage of the soul. In medieval times, these texts were venerated as siddhanta in the South and one who mastered it was honoured with the title of siddhanta cakravarfi, as is known in the case of famous author Nemicandra (C.E. 950) It has been observed that Satkhandagama resembles the Prajnapana )(explanations) text authored by monk Arya Syama who flourished in circa 79 B.C.E. The resemblance is found in both style and content."
The Satkhandagama contains about six thousand long or short aphorisms in Saurasent dominant Prakrit, and is influenced by Ardhamagadhi, Mahārāṣtrī and other native dialects. It is said to have originated from the treatise of Mahakarma Prakṛti Prabhṛta on Agguayani (Sk. Agriyant), the second text of the extinct Purva Anga. The sub-text has 24 anuyogadvāras (disquisition doors) and from them that the Satkhandagama was developed.
The work deals with the Jainas philosophical system and its various components as applied to living beings in terms of life, the activity thereof by way of mattergy and the final strands of karma bondage. The technicalities and experience processes are the subject matter which the work deals in six parts under the following headings (1) Jivatthaname (Prakrit. Sk. is jīvasthana, stations of the living heings). (2) Kṣudraka Bandha (karmic bondage). (3) Bandha-svamitva (Specifics of Karma Bondage) (4) Vedana (karma experiencing) (5) Vargaṇā (variforms of mattergy and karma) and (6) Mahābandha (Great bondage) with eighteen sub-text.
2.1 Commentaries on Satkhandagama -
Indranandi (C.E. 930) in his work Srutavatara has mentioned six commentaries. Accordingly. Samantabhadra composed a commentary in Sanskrit, and Padmanandi of Tamilnadu wrote Parikarma on three parts of the Satkhandagama, Virasena composed the Dhavala. Later, Samkundacārya wrote a commentary, using a mix of Prakrit, Sanskrit and Kannada languages, on five parts less the Mahabandha. Tambultracarya of the village of Tumbalure in Karnataka composed Cudamani in Kannada, Bappadeva also wrote a commentary on five parts excluding Mahabandha, and on Kaṣaya Prābhṛta in Prakrit.
3. The Jaina University at Vatana and The Dhavala -
Ancient Vatana is identified with Vani, a village situated 40 kms northeast of Nasik Highway in Maharastra. During the reign of Subhatunga Indra, the second king of the Rastrakuta empire, he commissioned a Jaina Shrine at Vatana, which later became the seat of the university. The small
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