Jain Digest 2001 07 Vol 19 No 03

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 13

LORD MAHAVIR'S GANDHARAS...... (Cont..)
of soul and matter. Numerous prominent authors have gener- astonishing and perhaps best in Jain literature. He also wrote a ously used these texts as reference material in their epic works commentry on Pravachansar and Panchastikay, the two other including great masters like Pujyapad, Yasovijayji, and Shrimad master pieces of Acharya Kundkund. When one studies these Rajchandraji. It is said that he was able to personally visit and commentaries, one gets amazed at the depth of the knowledge of meet Lord Simandhar swami for eight days after which he returned Amratchandra Acharya on the Dravyanuyoga (Jain metaphysics). to India and composed these five great texts.
In fact he composed his own texts known as Purusarthsiddhi
Upay and Tatvanushashan which are great epics. It can be said ACHARYA PUJYAPADSWAMI (150 A.D.)
that if it was not for these commentaries of Amratchandra, we
would have never been able to comprehend the real meaning of Pujyapad Swami accepted Digambar Dixa at age 15 and lived Samaysar and other master texts. to be seventy three. During his lifetime, he made major contributions to Jain literature by composing such great epics as Samadhi
ACAHRAY HEMCHANDRA (1200 A.D) Shatak, Ishtopadesh, and Sarvarthsiddhi (most comprehensive commentary on Tatvarth sutra). His most memorable work After Acharya Haribhadra, Jainism began to be divided into Samadhi Shatak, is regarded as Jain Gita and it is a must for a many sects and dogmas and the followers began to drift into serious disciple to study for self realization. Pujyapad Acharya rituals and blind faith. Need for a revolutionary Master was at had tremendous spiritual powers to condense the nectar of its peak when Acharya Hemchandra came into rescuing the fourteen Purvas in one text like Samadhi Shatak and its contri- breakdown of the Jain religion. He is given the credit for revivbutions to the spiritual world are priceless.
ing the true Jain philosophy laid by Lord Mahavir and
Hemchandra's brilliance and yogic powers revitalized the spirit ACAHRYA HARIBHADRA ( 700 A.D.)
of true Jain philosophy and worship. His time is considered as
a golden period for Jainism as Hemchandra helped many great I might say that Acharya Haribhadra Suri can be called the kings follow non violence in day to day life. King Kumarpal of Bhisma Pitamah of Jain literature. He composed 1,444 scrip- Gujarat accepted Hemchandra as his Kulguru. Hemchadndra tures in his life time of ninety years. No other Jain Master has composed many great epics like Yogshastra, Syadvadmanjari and made such monumental contribution to our scriptures since the Hem Vyakaran. Like Haribhadra, Hemchandra was also a great time of Lord Mahavir. At present we have approximately eighty writer and was very fluent in Sanskrit and Prakrit and he is five texts of Haribhadra Suri available for our study. The other given the credit for establishing the grammar and composition books have been lost over time. He was not only a great self for the Gujarati language. realized Yogi of highest caliber, but also had enormous divine powers and mastery over Sanskrit and Prakrit to compose such
YOGIRAJ ANANDGHANJI ( 1700 A.D.) eternal epics as : (1) Yog Drasti Samuchaaya, (2) Yog Bindu, (3) Dharma Bindu, (4) Lalit Vistara, (5) Yog Shatak, (6) Shodshak, After Hemchandra's great efforts to unify Jain community, (7) Shata Darshan Samuchaya, (8) Yog Vishinka, etc. Acharya things went from bad to worse in a few hundred years. Need for Haribhadara is the most authoritative and perhaps the most another revolutionary Master was very crucial. Fortunately with eminent Yogi in Jain history. Pundit Sukhlalji called him God's grace, we are gifted by two eminent Acharya's of this time. "Samdrasta Haribhadra" meaning a great yogi with equal re- Andanganji (and Yasovijayji) was a great Yogi and a highly self spect for all saints of all faiths and walks. Haribhadra Acharya realized saint who made major efforts to unify the Jains all over was a real example of a Sthitapragna Muni described by Lord the country. Unfortunately the blind ritualistic practice of worKrishna in the second chapter of Bhagavad Gita
ship was so deep-rooted that even Anandganji was unable to
break this wrong following. Nevertheless, he composed imACHARYA AMRATCHANDRA ( 1000 A.D.)
mortal Stavans (songs) in Gujarati and Hindi which are revered
today by all spiritual followers with great interest. His Tirthankar Acharya Kundkund's Samayasar is considered as a real epic of Chovisi is most well known and is studied at various levels in our time. It is with pride to say that it was the genius of Acharya temples and Jain schools. Amrat Chadnra who composed such a brilliant and lucid commentary on Samaysar known as Atmakhyati that gave Samaysar a new dimension to comprehend the depth of the original text. Acharya Amrat Chandra's mastery over Sanskrit is absolutely
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