Samayasāra

Samayasāra
Information
Religion	Jainism
Author	Kundakunda
Language	Prakrit
Period	(1st BCE–2nd century CE)
Verses	439

Template:Contains special characters Samayasāra (The Nature of the Self) is a famous Jain text composed by Kundakunda an early Digambar Jain Monk, (1st BCE–2nd century CE) in 439 verses. Its ten chapters discuss the nature of Jīva (pure self/soul), its attachment to Karma and Moksha (liberation). Samayasāra expounds the Jain concepts like Karma, Asrava (influx of karmas), Bandha (Bondage), Samvara (stoppage), Nirjara (shedding) and Moksha (complete annihilation of karmas).

A modern English translation was published by Vijay K. Jain in 2022.

History

Samayasara was written by Acharya Kundakunda in Prakrit.

Contents

The original Samayasara of Kundakunda consists of 415 verses and was written in Prakrit. The first verse (aphorism) of the Samayasāra is an invocation: Template:Quote According to Samayasāra, the real self is only that soul which has achieved ratnatraya i.e. Samyak Darshan, Samyak Gyan and Samyak Charitra. These state when soul achieves purity is Arihant and Siddha. It can be achieved by victory over five senses. According to Samayasāra:Template:Quote

Commentaries

It has a number of commentaries on it. Atmakhyati or Samayasara Kalasha, written by Acharya Amritchandra in 12th century CE, is a 278-verse Sanskrit commentary. Samaysar Kalash Tika or Balbodh was written by Pande Rajmall or Raymall in 16th century CE. It is a commentary of Amritchandra's Samaysar Kalasha. Nataka Samayasara is a commentary on Rajmall's version which was written by Banarasidas in Braj Bhasha in 17th century CE.

See also

• Sarvārthasiddhi
• Moksha (Jainism)

References

Sources

• Dundas, Paul (2002). The Jains. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-26606-2.
• Jain, Vijay K. (2012), Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara (in हिन्दी and English), Vikalp Printers, ISBN 978-81-903639-3-8
• Jain, Vijay K. (2022), Ācārya Kundakunda's Samayasāra – with Hindi and English Translation आचार्य कुन्दकुन्द विरचित समयसार, Dehradun: Vikalp Printers, ISBN 978-93-5680-382-4
• Chakravarti, Prof. A. (2008), Acharya Kundkund's Samayasara, Bhartiya Jnanpith, ISBN 978-81-263-1557-4
• Johnson, W. J. (1995), Harmless Souls: Karmic Bondage and Religious Change in Early Jainism with Special Reference to Umāsvāti and Kundakunda, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1309-X
• Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1991), Gender and Salvation: Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-06820-3
• Kundakunda, Acharya (1950), Samayasara or the Nature of the Self, Bharatiya Jnanapitha
• Long, Jeffery D. (2013). Jainism: An Introduction. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-0-85771-392-6.
• Orsini, Francesca; Schofield, Katherine Butler, eds. (1981), Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and Performance in North India, Open Book Publishers, ISBN 978-1-78374-105-2
• Kundakunda. Samayasāra, text, trans. and comm. by A. Chakravarti, Banaras, 1930