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PRAVACANASĀRA,
S'ivaskandha or Yuva Mahārāja of the Pallava dynasty, as it has some favo: urable circumstantial evidences. The only difficulty, in the way of this identification, is the uncertainty of Pallava genealogy and chronology. In their records the kings of the same name appear to figure at different periods : S'ivaskandhavarman figures fifth in the Pallava line and before him there was one Skandhavarman; and there,- in those records, the mention is made of reign-years and not of any standard era. The beginning of the Pallavá genealogy, therefore, is chronologically uncertain. Prof. Chakravarti, though not explicit, appears to be aware of these difficulties when he says: 'It is quite possible, therefore, that this S'ivaskandha of Conjeepuram or one of the predecessors of the same name was the contemporary and disciple of S'rī Kundakunda'. So, if any historical value can be attached to the statements of Jayasena, the identification of Sivakumāra with the Pallava king S'ivaskandha is inore probable than the one proposed by Pathak.
KUNDAKUNDA AS THE AUTHOR OF KURAL.-The attribution of the authorship of Kural to Kundakunda has, no doubt, some bearing on the date of Kundakunda, but the way in which Prof. Chakravarti tackles that problem, I am afraid, contains the famous flaw of Icunda-badara-nyāya. Despite various
sectarian claims, an unbiased critic would certainly find in Kural many Jaina · indications, which cannot easily and naturally be explained according to other
faiths, such as the divinity walking on lotuses and possessing eight qualities etc. The commentator of Nīlakesi, a Jaina work, calls Kural 'as our own Bible'; this indicates, in addition to the internal evidences, that the author of Kural is claimed by the Jainas, since a pretty long time, as belonging to their community. As-to the date of Kural there are divergent opinions. On very good grounds M. S. Ramasvami Ayangar puts Kural at the beginning of the Christian era. Further the Jaina tradition attributes the authorship of Kural to a Jaina saint Elācārya, who after composing gave it away to his disciple Tiruvalluvar, who introduced it to Madura Sangha. Now Kundakunda's authorship of Kural depends on the identity of Elācārva with Kundakunda. but this identity is not a sure ground. In our previous discussion, | the tradition that Kundakunda had five names has been shown to be dubious and not well founded; so, if Prof. Chakravarti relies on that very tradition, I : must say, it is insufficient to prove the identity, though I am aware that I' have not been able to disprove Kundakunda's having a name Elācāya have been in the case of the name Vakragrīva etc. So some more necessary to show that Kundakunda had a name Elācārya; and if th more definite, it can be accepted that Kundakunda was the author. and consequently his age would be put in the first century A. D. I may indicate, however, that at the beginning of the Christian era the circumstances, as they might possibly have been then, appear to be quite tempting for an author of the stamp and dignity of Kundakunda, or any other Jaina teacher
1
H. Heras: The Pallara Genealogy; Aiyadgar: Some contributions of Sciish India to Indiani culture, chapter viii etc. Studies in Sowh Indian Jainism pp. 40 etc.
2
