Gyanchandrodayanataka

Author(s): Padmasundar, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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In the seventeenth century of Vikrama Era there flourished a great Digambara personality, Banārasidāsa who was transformed into a saint-poet by Kundakunda's works. Kundakunda's mysticism touched his heart. He derived spiritual inspiration from Kundakunda's powerful mystic words. He composed several works expounding Niscaya-naya. Somewhat earlier in the 16 th century V. S. Up. Harşavardhana wrote his Adhyātmabindul. He closely followed Kundakunda's Sama yasara in ideas and expressions as well. Though he was a Svetambara monk, he studied Kundakunda's works and Amrtacandra's commentaries thereon. In Padmasundara we find another Śvetāmbara 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 Jñānacandrodayanāțaka embodies the essence of the philosophy contained in Kundakunda's works. Throughout the work he closely follows Kundakunda and his commentator Amộtacandra. Some verses are almost identical, in expressions, with the gāthās and slokas from the Pravacanasāra and the Atmakhyātiţikā on the Samayasāra. 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 Aništacandra. 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. Some instances are given below : Jñanacandrodaya
Pravacanasära न मनो नाहं देहो न चारि वाणी कारणं
णाहं देहो ण मणो ण चेव वाणी ण कारण तेपाम् । कर्ता न न कारयिता कर्तृणां
तेसि । कत्ता ण ण कारयिदा अणुमंता नानुमन्ताऽस्मि ॥ (५.६२) .
णेव कत्तीणं ।। (२.६८) पदगलमयो न चाई मया न ते पुद्गला:
णा पोग्गलमइओ ण ते मया पोग्गला कया कृताः पिण्डम् । देहोऽहं न च तस्मादथ
पिंड । तम्हा हि ण दहोऽहं कत्ता वा कर्ता तस्य देहस्य ॥ (५.६३)
तस्स देहस्स ॥ (२.६९) Jñanacandrodaya
Atmakhyāti अज्ञान प्रविज़म्भणेन तमसा रज्जौ भुजा
अज्ञानान्मृगतृष्णिको जलधिया धावन्ति भ्रनस्त्वज्ञानेन मरीचिकासु हरिणा धावन्ति
पातुं मृगा, अज्ञानात्तमसि द्रवन्ति भुजपाथोधिया। अज्ञानेन विमोहितैकमनसा
गाध्यासेन रज्जो जना: । अज्ञानाच्च 1. Published in L. D. Series No. 34.