ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 02

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 386

B.6.0.h
Pańcästikäya
"Ancient book of reality"
Dr. Anekant Jain
INTERNATIO
SCHOOL
OF
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY
Farenga
परम
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
तप
STUDIES
Parcatthikaya (Pańcāstikāya) is an ancient and important text of Jain's which is composed in old classical Indian language named 'Prakrit' and specifically in 'Saurseni Prakrit' (an important part of the Prakrit language). This work is composed by the famous Jainācārya Kundakunda in 1st century A.D.
The Pańcastikaya, as it is specified by its brief title, is one of the important works of Kundakunda who occupies unique position, next only to Lord Mahāvīra and his Gaṇadhara Gautama, in the south Indian Jaina tradition. It deals with Jain metaphysics, ontology and ethics, i.e. exposition of the path leading to liberation. The text is in Prakrit gāthās / verses and it mentions its title in two places: Paricatthikaya-sarigaha (Pańcāstika-sangraha) in gāthā No. 103, and elsewhere, in No. 173, suttam (sūtram) is tacked on to it, and in both the places it is qualified by Pavayaṇasaram (Pravacanasaram). Though the brief title is more popular, some have used the title Sanskrit like Pańcāstikāyasāra. In this edition they are allowed to return as they are, inherited from earlier sources.
In Pańcastikaya, the five astikayas or existents (jiva, pudgala, dharma, adharma and ākāśa), which are different from kāla, are explained. In this text there is an authentic explanation of the nature of dravya (substance), division of dravya, Saptabhangi, gūņa (attributes), paryaya (modes) and in the first section /adhikāra there is an exposition of the substance, attributes and modes. In the second section, there is a clear analysis of the nine entities (padarthas) called: merit (punya), demerit (papa), living being (jiva), non living being (ajiva), influx (āśarva), bondage (bandha), stoppage (samvara), dissociation (nirjarā) and liberation (mokşa); and the mokṣa-marga (path of liberation) is also explained. According to the commentary of Acarya Amṛtacandra, there are 173 gathās in it, whereas according to Acarya Jayasena, there are 181 gāthās.
Commentaries: A number of commentaries in Sanskrit by Amṛtacandrācārya; Brahmadeva, Devajitu, Jayasena, Jňanacandra, Mallişena and Prabhācandra are known. Those of Amṛtacandra and Jayasena are already printed and well known. There is a commentary of Bālacandra in old - Kannada language; but, so far, it is not published. Some expositions of
Page 373 of 385