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Jaina Grantha Bhandārs in Rajasthao.
158
)
authors there is some matter which relates to Adhyatma. According to the Jaina principle, soul is the king of the body, which is nothing but a collection of matter or Parmanus. One who loves this body cannot get rid of the cycle of death and birth. There is no difference between common person's soul and supreme soul, but there exists only a difference of Karmas. The soul of a common person on account of ignorance does not realise its nature as different from body. Every soul possesses a power to become supreme soul. As the Jaina theory does not believe in God as the creator or destroyer of the world hence there is a large literature dealing with with soul.
SAMSKRIT WORKS
Acirya Gunabhadra, the author of Uttara Purina is one of the carliest Samskrit scholar (10th century A.D.) who wrote Atmānusasan'. It deals with the soul and its functions, if it lives within the body. The work is of a high standard It contains 270 stanzas. The work is very popular and its manuscripts are found in most of the Jaina Grantha Bhandars. Parswanag also composed Almănušaşan in Sanskrit in the same century I e. 985 A.D. It contains 77 Kātikās and the manuscript exists in the Jaisalmer Grantha Bhandar.
Yogasära divided into nine Chapters and written in samskrit is ascribed 10 Amitigati a famous scholar of Samskrit Literature. The other name of the work is Gitavitarāga. This is a didactic poem written in very simple language and consisting mainly of moral instructions. He also wrote a Sāmāyika Pătha3 which is also full of Adhyatma material. Amrita Candra a samskrit scholar of 10th century wrote commentaries on Samayasár, a famous work on Adhyātma literature, in prose and poetry, which is called Samayasır Vratu and Samayasara Kalasa. Both the commertaries are very popular and are read with great interest.
Muni Sundar Sürt of Tapăgacha (1379 to 1486) wrote Adhyatma Kalpadrum in Samskrit. The work is divided into 16 Chapters
Yalovijaya, pupil of Naya Vijay belonging to Tapāgacha composed Adhyåtmasära. It is divided in seven chapters and the total number of Slokas appearing therein is 948. The manuscript is in Jaina Grantha Bhandārs of Bikāner.
1. Published from Jauna Grantha Ratnākar Kiryalaya, Bombay.
2. Published from Bhartiya Jaina Sidhant Prakasual Sanstha, Calcutta.
3.
Ibid.
