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LXII : SĀRĀVALĪ–PRAKĪRŅAKA
Generally, Pujyapāda (6th century AD) is considered as the author of Nirvāṇabhakti (Samskṛta) and Kundakunda (6th century AD) that of the Nirvāṇa-kānda (Prākṛta). About these Saniskṛta and Prākṛta Nirvāṇa (bhakti and kāṇḍa) texts Pt. Nāthūrāmjī Premi has said only this much that unless the matter of their authorship is settled, what can be said is that these are decidedly of a period prior to that of Aśādhara i.e. 13th century AD. The Prakrta text (Nirvāṇakāṇda) mentions Siddhavarakūta on the banks of Narmada and Culagiri and Pāvāgiri in the southern part of the town of Badvānī. However, archeologiclly, as these places of pilgrimage do not appear to be of a period prior to the 9th or 10th century, the claims regarding their period of composition and their authorship by the ancient Acāryas becomes questionable. Nirvāṇakāṇda mentions places of pilgrimage such as Ahicchatrā, Argaladeśa, Astāpada, Baḍavānī, Campā,Cūlagiri, Dronagiri, Gajapantha, Gommatadeva, Hastinapur, Holagiri, Jambuvana, Kunthupur, Mathura, Medhagiri, Nivadakundali, Pāvāgiri, Śatruñjaya, Sammedasikhara, Savanagiri, Siddhavarakūta, Sirapur, Tarpur, Tungigiri, Urjayanta, Vārāṇasī, etc. The mentions of Cūlagiri, Pāvāgiri, Gommatadeva, Sirapur, etc. in this Nirvānabhakti prove it to be of considerably later period. The idol of Bahubali at Gommatadeva (Śravaṇabelagolā) in Karnātaka state was erected in the year 983 AD, hence, neither can this treatise be of an origin earlier than this time nor can its author be Acārya Kundakunda.
Amongst the works of other Acaryas between the 6th and the 10th centuries AD, is the Nirvāṇabhakti by Pūjyapāda is the most important. He has mentioned the following places of pilgrimage in his Nirvanabhakti - Dronīmatha, Jumbhikāgrā
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