Enlightened Vision of the Self

Author(s): Akalankadev, Devendra K Goyal
Publisher: Radiant Publishers New Delhi

Page 81

INTRODUCTION
5.Starupa Sambodhana Pandharinshatih. It contains twenty-five shlokas
only.
His commentatorial works are: 1. Sabhashya Tattrartha Vartika is a commentary in prose on Tattrartha Sutra by Umasvami and contains two thousand and seventy
annotations.
2. Ashtashati is a commentary on Aptamimansa alias Deragama Stotra of Acharya Samantabhadra and contains eight hundred shlokas (verses).
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Bhatta Shri Akalanka Deva flourished in the eighth century (720780 A.D.). There is disagreement amongst Jain historians about the parentage of Shri Akalanka Deva. Kathakosha of Prabhachandra describes him as son of Purushottam, who was a minister to King Shubhatunga of Manyakheta. The same view finds support in Aradhana Kathakosha of Nemidutta. Tattuartheraja Vartika describes him as the eldest son of King Laghuhavvah. But all historians agree that Akalanka and Nishkalanka were brothers. Nishkalanka was the younger brother; he was executed by the Buddhist army-men.
Traditionally in India, there had been a practice to name a grantha according to the number of shlokas it contains. For example,Amritashiti contains ashiti, i.e. eighty shlokas; Sambodhana-saptatih has saptati, i.e. seventy, Mahavirashtaka has ashta, i.e. eight; Gatha Saptashati contains saptashati, i.e. seven hundred shlokas and Padmanandipandharinshatih has pandha-rinshati, i.e. twenty-five verses. It is in the same tradition, that this grantha of Bhatta Shri Akalanka Deva containing twenty-five shlokas, carries the name of Swarupa Sambodhana Pandharinshatih.
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Surupa Sambodhana Pandharinshatib contains only twenty-five shlokas excluding the one forming the epilogue. Language used in the grantha like other granthas composed by Shri Akalanka Deva is classic Sanskrit, concise and full of deep thoughts and meanings.
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The grantha basically deals with spiritual contemplation connected with the Soul and not the logical deductions that can be deduced therefrom. The subject matter is better understood by dividing it into two parts the first half deals with the scientific basics and special attributes of the Self, while the second half deals with the ways and means to realize the ture nature of soul, i.e. liberation of