________________
INTRODUCTION
1. S'RĪ KUNDAKUNDĀCĀRYA
A GENERAL APPRECIATION OF KUNDAKUNDA.-The position, which Kundakundācārya occupies among the Jaina authors, especially the Digambara hierarchy, is of a unique character. The mention of his name has an auspicious significance, and comes next only to that of Mahāvīra and his apostle Gautama.1 To trace their spiritual lineage from Kundakunda has been looked upon as a proud privilege by Jaina monks of the Digambara section; and, as a clear proof of this, we have Kundakundânvaya for three of the four Jaina sanghas of the Digambara ascetic community in the South.2 Many later authors are greatly indebted to him and some of his works have proved to be a milch-cow for later commentators for quotations; that at once indicates the authoritative character of his works. Three of his works, viz., Pañcāstikāya, Pravacanasāra and Samayasāra,3 are technically called Nātaka-traya or Prābhrta-traya, perhaps on the analogy of Prasthāna-traya of the Vedāntins; this suggests that these three works are as much sacred and authoritative for the Jainas as the Upanişads, Brahmasūtras and Bhagavadgitā for the Vedāntins. Most of his utterances are above sectarianism; his Samayasāra is studied with devotion by Digambaras, Svetāmbaras and Sthānakavāsis alike; and thousands of spiritually minded votaries, both monks and laymen, have drawn, to this day, religious inspiration and spiritual solace from this work of Kundakunda.
TRADITIONAL NAMES OF KUNDAKUNDA.-Turning to epigraphic records, his name is spelt as Kondakunda,+ a form with decided Dravidian phonetic colour; Kundakunda is a smooth Sanskritisation of the same, and has completely superseded the original word. From certain inscriptions belonging to the twelfth century A.D. it is learnt that his original name was Padmanandi, but he came to be called Kõndakunda, or as we spell it Kundakunda. In an inscription, at Vijayanagara, of about 1386 A.D., belonging to Nandisangha, [p. 2:] we find it recorded that our author had five names: Padmanandi, Kundakunda, Vakragriva, Elācārya and
1 mangalam bhagavān Viro mangalam Gautamo gani
mangalam Kundakundădyāḥ Jaina-dharmo' stu mangalam // 2 According to a Kanarese MS., Ganabheda, Nandi- Simha- and Sri Yapaniya-sangha have
Kundakundânvaya; while Müla-sangha has Vrsabhasenänvaya. It is an interesting MS. which gives the gana, anvaya, gaccha, birudāvali, simhasana-gadi, name-endings borne by different monks etc. of each sangha; traditional stories about the occasion etc. of the particular sangha are also given. These details, so far as the historical purpose is concerned, will have to be accepted with caution. 3 These works, though composed in Prakrit, are popularly known by their Sanskrit names. 4 See Epigraphia Carnatica, II, 64, 66, 117, 127, 140, 254 etc.; also Jaina silālekha-Sangraha,
Ed. by Prof. Hiralal, Bombay, 1928. 5 See E. C., II, 64, 66 etc.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
