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Studies in Jainology, Prakrit
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was subsequently changed to Konakondl a under the influence of Telugu, possibly in the later age of the Vijayanager regime. The real name of the tcacher was Padmanandi, but in course of time, this name was pushed into the background; and he came to be distinguished, more prominently on account of his unique personality, by the characteristic name of the place which was his domicile. This name, which was originally Dravidian in general and Kannada in particular, was Sanskritised into Kundakunda and Kundakunda. Still the Dravidian form of the name peristed with
ual credit and this is attested by the numerous allusions to the teacher as Kondakunda especially in the epigraphs.”? Dr.Desai further tells that this place possibly had been a stronghold of Jainisin even before Kundakundacarya and after him, in later days, it got the reputation of a tirtha and developed into a Jaina religious centre.
Kundakundācārya was not only a great preceptor but also a voluminous author. After the rist in the Jaina Church, he was the first and foremost 10 endeavour to fill up the lacuna of canonical knowledge for the Digambaras by providing important texts which later sormed the bulk and pivotal part of the Pro-canon of the Digambaras. Tradition attributes to him the authorship of 84 works which are generally called Pāhudas. Of these Pahudas only 8 are available. They are: Pamcatthikāya, Pavayanasāra, Samayasāra, Niyamasāra, Rayamasūra, Dasabhatti, Althapāhudas and Bārasānuvekkhā. Moreover he has written a commentary (vrtti) called Parikamma on the first three parts the Satkhandāgama according to a statement by Indranandi in his Śrutāvatāra. Now this statement of Indranandi is accepted as a fact almost by all scholars. This Parikamma has the honour of being the first commentary on the Satkhandāgama. It is said, through the tradition of tcachers, Kundakundācārya possessed two copies of the Satkhandāgama and the Kasāyapāhuda. Moreover he also inherited some knowledge of the Purvas based on which he composed the
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