Sumati Jnana

Author(s): Shivkant Dwivedi, Navneet Jain
Publisher: Shantisagar Chhani Granthamala

Page 68

Date of Acarya Kundakund
45 We shall discuss in brief here the important points relating to fixing the Data of Acarya Kundakunda. 1) Question of Acarya Bhadrabahu and Kundakunda Acarya Bhadrabahu played a leading role in deciding the date of Acarya Kundakunda who mentioned him as Gamakaguru in his Bodhapahuda: Saddaviyaro huuo bhaasaasuttesu jam jine kahiyam. So taha kahiyam nayam sisena ya Bhaddabaahussa. Baaras aangaviyaanam caudasapuvvangaviulavittharanam Suyananibhaddabaahuu gamayaguruu bhayavao jayao. Gatha, 60-61
Jain tradition speaks of mainly two Bhadrabahus. The first one was Srutakevalin Bhadrabahu, the contemporary of Candragupta Maurya. Kundakunda cannot be a direct disciple of the First Bhadrabaahu who was the Srutakevali, the knower of twelve Angas and Fourteen Purvas as mentioned in the Bodhapahuda. But Kundakunda must have referred to him as Gamakaguru, the traditional teacher. Jayasena followed the same tradition by calling Kundakunda as Kundagrasisya in his Pratisthapatha Prasasti. So many other instances are also found in literature where the Acaryas mentioned himself as the indirect disciple of earlier reputed teachers. Srutakevalin Bhadrabahu was undoubtedly a spiritual leader of the jain order who led the Jain Sangha to the South and saved the original character (Digambaratva) of Jainism. Kundakunda paid an honour by accepting him as Gamakaguru. Sramanabelagola inscriptions mention Bhadrabahu and Candragupta Maurya with a great respect.
According to Nandisangha Pattavali, Kundakunda was the successor of Jinacandra, the successor of Maghanandi as follows:- Bhadrabahu > Guptigupta > Maghanandi > Jinacandra > Kundakunda. Jayasena in his Pancastitikaya mentions that Kundakunda was the disciple of Kumaranandi Siddhantadeva. If this Kumaranandi is considered the second name of Maghanandi, then both may be treated as the disciples of Gamakaguru Bhadrabahu. Sramanabelagola Inscription No. 105 (254) mentions the names of some of the Acaryas held between Bhadrabahu and Yatindra Kundakunda (Verse 13). They are Kumbha, 1) Vinita, 2) Haladhara, 3) Vasudeva, 5) Acala, 6) Merudhira, Merudhara, 7) Sarvajna, 8) Sarvagupta, 9) Mahidhara, 10) Dhanapala, 11) Mahavira and so forth. Indranadi Srutavatara remembers Kundakunda as the prominent Acarya who composed the scripture after its extinct. He is honoured by establishing an Anvaya after his name (Kundakundanvaya). Kundakunda is also mentioned as the founder of Mulasangha in inscription No. 55:
Srimato vardhamansya vardhamanasya sasane.
Srikondakundanamabhunmulasanghagranirgani. (Verse, 3) Some other Sramånavelagola inscriptions Nos. 42, 43, 47 and 50 (Saka Samvat respectively 1099, 1045, 1037, and 1060) mention Kundakunda possessing another name Padmanandi in the Nandigana belonging to the same lineage. Likewise, Inscriptions No. 54, 40 and 108 (Saka Samvat 1050, 1085 and 1355 respectively) provide a long list of
Mulasanghiya Nandigana lineage starting with Gautama as follows: 1) Gautama > Gautama