Nyayavatara and Nayakarnika

Author(s): Siddhasena Divakar, Vinayvijay, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Jain Sahitya Vikas Mandal

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tributed to Vațțakera) which is a compilation of small Prakaraṇas some of them inheriting traditional Gāthās, common with the Niryuktis etc. Kundakunda and Vattakera belonged to the South, especially Karņāțaka and round about. The arguments of Pt. Sukhalalaji to put Kundakunda earlier than Siddhasena still hold good; and no substantial evidence is brought forth to put Kundakunda and Samantabhadra latert han Siddhasena. Kundakunda, Samantabhadra and Siddhasena are definitely earlier than Pūjyapāda who quotes Kundakunda's Dvādasānuprekşā (Gāthās 25-9) and Siddhasena's Stuti III. 16 in his Sarvārthasiddhi (II. 10; VII. 13) and refers to Samantabhadra in his Sanskrit grammar (5.4.140). Chronological conclusions need typical evidence; opinions do not count there; and parallel ideas and concepts can never be conclusive, especially when no definite source can be assigned to a specific period.
3) Sumati or Sanmati is said to have written, according to an epigraphic evidence and Vādirāja (1025 A.D.), a commentary on the Sanmati; and this is referred to in an inscription (1128 A.D.) at Shravan Belgol and the Pārsvanātha-Carita respectively. Both the sources belong to the South, especially Karņāțaka.
4) The tradition is unanimous that on the eve of his career Siddhasena migrated to the South (obviously the area of his birth) and died at Paithan. If he went to the South on the eve of his life, it is but a natural instinct
To recapitulate, Siddhasena belonged to the Yāpanīya Sangha which flourished in the South, and was later absorbed among the Digambaras in Karņāțaka. One Prabandha assigns him to the Deccan, particularly Karņāțaka, making him the son of a Brahmin and giv