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Foreword
This unique feat is also captured by the commentators of 'Pancāstikaya' and 'Şațprābhịta', viz., Ācārya Jayasena and Acārya Śrutasāgara, respectively. In addition, there are several inscriptions recording the renaissance of Jain dharma contributed by this rddhidhara in the two hills of Śravanabelagola situated in the Hassana district of Karnataka (B.L. Rice, 1889). The author Shri V.K. Jain in his Preface has already depicted a snapshot of the great Ācārya along with the most famous 'mangalam' hymn which is arguably a precursor for many such me-too like hymns in India. The venerable Acārya Kundakunda composed 84 pāhuda - short anthems - making use of the most accepted original sūtras, gāthās and 'Tirukkuraľ, the world-famous Tamil anthology is the contribution of his sangha. This is not an epic as erroneously interpreted by many Hindi scholars. 'Niyamasāra', it appears, was composed as a handbook for the śramaņas and śrāvakas conversant with basic tenets of Jain dharma. Here we see the copious vocabulary of the Jain tenets and philosophy. Only those familiar with such prerequisites would capture the imports of the chapters and their gāthās. The name of the sacred book is derived from the third gāthā which is central to the topic of the book. The word niyama implying systematic regime or discipline, has become a common usage in the Indian languages. Patānjali used it in his yoga. Yama-niyama refers to a set of vows. 'Niyamasāra' is the abridged version of the original gāthās of the śrutaskandha, the library of original Jain agama. For generations, this book was in the compulsory by-heart reading list and hence for centuries, no written commentary was deemed necessary till in the 12th century of the Vikram era, versatile Acārya Padmaprabhamaladhārideva rendered his Sanskrit commentary by name 'Tātparyavrtti' using both prose (padya) and stanzas (gadya). His rendition is more in the nature of expression of his deep devotion to this book. The commentator refers this Scripture with divine appellations such as Sruta, Paramāgama, Paramārtha-śāstra, Bhagavad-śāstra and Sabdabrahma. A perusal of his invocatory stanza below clearly reveals the supreme lineage of the book glorified with the adjective, paramāgamārthasārtham.
गुणधरगणधररचितं श्रुतधरसन्तानतस्तु सुव्यक्तम् । परमागमार्थसार्थं वक्तुममुं के वयं मन्दाः ॥५॥
(ix)
