Soul Science Part 02

Author(s): Parasmal Agrawal
Publisher: Kundakunda Gyanpith

Page 29

Introduction
मंगलं भगवान् वीरो, मंगलं गौतमो गणी । मंगलं कुन्दकुन्दाद्यो, जैन धर्मोऽस्तु मंगलं । ।
XXVII
The above mentioned verse is recited by Jains (specially, by Digamber Jains) before the beginning of any auspicious work. In this verse, a devotee says that Lord Mahāvīra, Gautama Gaṇadhara, and Acārya Kundakunda, etc., are auspicious. This shows the auspicious significance of Acārya Kundakunda's name which is enumerated next only to that of Lord Mahāvīra and his chief disciple Gautama Ganadhara. The level of reverence of Acarya Kundakunda can also be seen from the fact that Acārya Vidyanandji [1], Aryika Gyanmati Mataji [2], and many saints and scholars have written titles like 'Bhagavana' and 'His Holiness' before his name. Acārya Kundakunda is considered to be borne in the southern part of India in the second century. He wrote a large number of scriptures and Samayasara is considered as his most valuable scripture.
Samayasara and its importance
Acārya Kundakunda's Samayasara has been a scripture of immense interest to a large number of eminent scholars and saints including Acārya Amṛtacandra (10th century), Acārya Jayasena (12-13th century), Pt. Rajmallaji (16th century), Pandit Banarasidasji (16th century), Pandit Todarmalji (18th century), Pandit Jayachandaji Chhabada (18th century), Shrimad Rajchandraji (19th century), etc., who all had studied this treatise in great detail and used it as a basis for their own respective works. In the past 50 years, a large number of commentaries and discourses of eminent saints and scholars on Samayasara have been published [1-12].
Acārya Vidyasagarji [3] writes that every stanza of Samayasara is filled with nectar and nectar, and he drank and drank this nectar through