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Who is The Author of the Pañcasūtra : Cirantanācārya or Yākinisūnu Haribhadra ?
Ācārya Vijayaśīlacandra sūri
The Pañcasūtra is a concise treatise enjoying considerable respect among the Svetāmbara Jaina munis for several centuries past. It contains an essential spiritual experience and systematic presentation of the matter meant for the sublimation of soul and purification of mind. It is charmingly composed in succinct, elegant, and meaningful sūtras in Prakrit. Despite its small size, it enjoys popularity to an appreciable degree.
Ācārya Haribhadra sūri has also written a terse, well-composed, and facile commentary on this small work, of which several editions have appeared in print. Its critical edition, however, has been only recently published by the B. L. Institute of Indology, Delhi, competently edited by Munirāja Jambūvijaya'.
Up to this date, no reference as to its author has been encountered in existing sources. In point of fact, no one has tried to investigate it. On the contrary, all so far have accepted the authenticity of the traditionally floating information that some Cirantanācārya has composed this work. The trem 'Cirantanācārya' has two plausible explanations : First, cirantana means ancient (and hence the work by some ancient ācārya) : Second, it may mean the appellation proper of the äcārya who composed it. Out of these two views, the former view has been universally accepted.
Indeed, few critical discussions about the authorship of this treatise have been done; yet all contemporary writers on it concluded : The author of this work is unknown. Let us first notice these opinions.
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