Jain Journal 2013 07

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 40

Dr. Anekant Kumar Jain: An ancient Jain canonical Prakrit text of Philosophy
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4. Commentaries on the Pravacansar :
Acharya Amritachandra wrote a very popular Commentary in samskrit on pravacansar named Tattvadeepika at 9th-10th century A.D. According to Prof.A.N. Upadhye- 'As a commentator Amritchandra's position is really great, because so far us we know, he is the first commentator on the authoritative works of kundakunda. He does not aim at verbal explanation, but he wants simply to propound the philosophical contents of the gathas. Acharya Jayasena wrote a very critical commentary in Sanskrit on pravcansar named Taatparyavritti. He might have written his this commentary in the second half of the 12th century A.D. According to prof. Upadhye Jayasena as a commentator has his own method by which he has influenced later commentator like Brahmadeva. At the beginning of a section or a sub-section, he always gives the analysis of that section by grouping gathas according to topic. Every gatha is intoduced by a remark which generally agrees with the one of Amritacandra. Then he explains the gathas word by word. At the beginning of the 13th century A.D. Balcvhandradeva wrote a commentary on Pravacansara in Kannada named Kannada Tatparya-vritti. This commentary is shorter than that of Jayasena. Prabhacandracarya wrote a Sanskrit commentary is on Pravacansar at 14th century A.D., The Name of his commentary is Saroja-Bhaskara. According to Prof. Upadhye-As compared with that of Amritchandra, there is no special profundity in Prabhacandra's commentary. His aim appears to be very modest; he gives a word for word explanation of the Prakrit text; and the extent of his exposition is shorter than that of Jayasena with whom he agrees here and there. It is also reported by the prof. Upadhey in his preface that one Mallisena has written Sanskrit commentary on Pravacansar, but it is doubtful. After these commentaries many modern jain scholars creates many commentaries in hindi and other languages. The translations in Hindi, English and in other languages are also published in 17th to 21st centuries. Pande Hemraja completed hindi Balavabodha commentary on pravacansar at 1653 A.D. Pt. Kavivara Vrindavandas