Jinamanjari 1998 09 No 18

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 23

Jinamañjari, Volume 18, No.2, October 1998
Path of Moksa According to Kundakunda Amar Singh Jain, Mississauga, ON
Acarya Kundakunda who followed in the original path of Mahavira and the line of Bhadrabahu-II (c.53-77 B.C.E.)' is a great Jain philosopher and teacher of the Digambara tradition. Dr. J.P. Jain identifies him as the third of the four gurus, who succeeded a group of five Ekādasaangadhāris. According to him, Bhadrabāhu II lived circa 37-14 B.C.E., and knew only nine Angas.
2
Many dates have assigned to Kundakunda by many writers. Without any meaningful and relevant investigation, they simply have misplaced him in different periods. However, Dr. A.N. Upadhye - a scholar and Prakritist of international repute; and Dr. Jyoti Prasad Jain -a renown historian of ancient Indian history - have exhaustively worked out a much older date to Kundakunda. Based on the Digambara Paṭṭāvalis as worked out by professor Hoernle, the archaic nature and of the content in terms of both the application of the words and their contextual developed meanings vis-à-vis philosophical notions, and later inspirational and literary records, the two eminent scholars have assigned early Current Era to Kundakunda. Further more, they have sketched a brief biography of Kundakunda as to his nativity, activity and works. To be precise the assigned date is 8 B.C.E - 44 C.E.3
This work with all relevant data as regards the date of Kundakunda is available since several decades. Later scholarship without this original work can not simply make statements on the date of Kundakunda. The date of Kundakunda, 8 B.C.E 44 C.E. therefore stands valid. As late as 1987 Dr. Shuddhatmaprabha conducted an exhausting investigation into the data on the age of Kundakunda. Based on her study, she concludes that Kundakunda lived in early Current Era. Without hesitancy we therefore can accept 8 B.C.E. - 44 C.E. as the date of Kundakunda.
4
Kundakunda did not expound any new doctrine of liberation. He has said it that he is not the originator of the doctrine, as he points out in the following verse:
Jināgama revealed by Jinas
Thus charts the path of liberation,
-
For Private Personal Use Only
21