1) Acarya Kunda Kunda authored the sacred Jain text Samayasara to guide ascetic munis and boost their spiritual progress.
2) The core message is that the soul experiences true nature ("swa samayam") when in harmony with faith, knowledge and conduct, but experiences bondage ("para samayam") when identifying with matter.
3) Samayasara had a significant influence on later Indian philosophy, including Adi Sankara and the traditions of advaita, dvaita and visheshadvaita. It also deeply impacted theological foundations in South India as seen in several couplets of the TirukkuRaL.
1. Acarya Kunda Kunda and His Magnum Opus, Samaya Pahuda
Prof. C. Devakumar, Ph. D. ARS, FNAAS, FICS
cdevakumar@gmail.com
ஓம நம: ஸமயஸாராய
Acarya Kunda Kunda
It is said that Acharyashri Kunda Kunda was born in a village in Guntur
district of Andhra Pradesh in the Sharvari year Magha month shukla
panchami in 108 B.C. He became a bala brahmachari at the age of 11 and
became a nirgranth at the age 33 years. He became pontiff head at the age
of 44 and continued in that post for next 51 years 10 months and 15 days.
According to archaeological inscription found at Sravanabelagola, he attained
chArana riddhi by which he could remain suspended in the air four inches
above the ground. He invited death at the age of 95 years 10 months and 15
days. His end coincided with 12 B.C. Acarya Kunda Kunda is hailed in the
lineage of Bhagawan Mahavira and Gautama Ganadhara for the simple fact
that he resurrected the falling standards in Sramana of his times. The muni-s
started counting the 28 mulguna-s as an accountant would make entries in
his book rather than leading the ascetic life in unison with these attributes.
The gunasthana-s, marganasthana-s and jivasthana-s have engaged their
minds in large part rather than pursuing the true path of the soul.
Samayasara
The sacred book Samayasara is addressed to those munis who are
otherwise equipped with the fine art of renunciation, vairagya and
brahmacharya. It is meant to boost their progress. It is a guide to them. The
faith in the substance of this book is at best the prescription for the laymen
who are not yet ready to lead such austere life.
Acaryashri Kunda Kunda named this book as Samaya Pahuda (please
see gatha no. 1 and 515, the first and last verses). Samaya Pahuda is the
tenth chapter by the very name in the fifth Purva called Jnana Pravada in
12th anga of Jinavani. By naming this book as well as invoking the name of
Sruta Kevali, Acaryashri has confirmed the conformity of its content with that
of Jinavani and thus it is an authoritative Word of Tirthankar. This is further
reinstated by the usage of Arhat pravacana avayavasya (= it is an organ of
Jinavani) for the first gatha by the Sanskrit commentator Acarya Shri
Amrutchandra. The term “Samayasara” occurs in three gathas viz. 142, 144
and 413. The views that karma binds the soul and does not bind the soul are
the domains of naya. Samayasara is beyond the pales of naya (gatha 142).
2. Those who approach the soul as the seamless embodiment of Right faith and
knowledge beyond the realms of viewpoints alone experience the soul (verse
144). Those, who cling to their external forms, be they ascetic or laity, do
not know the essence of soul (gatha 413). This book is borne out of his
personal face to face experience with the purer soul. We must bear in mind
of all this important fact in availing the message of this book. He uses
caution to ward of wrong message or confusion borne out of other me-too-
like schools. Such references are seen in 23 gathas.
The language of the book is Jain shauraseni and he can be credited to
be the first author of this padya meter of verses. Analysis of the meter of the
verses reveals that there are 166 gatha-s containing a single jagan usage
whereas 109 gatha-s contain two of them. According to metric grammar,
such usages signify appropriate pleasantness to the readers. The errors crept
in copying over a period of time do not permit the metric analysis of other
gatha-s. However one should carry out such analysis making use of available
copies. I learn that one should read Samayasara with certain musical tones.
It is advised to read the first pAda as steadily as the swan swim, the second
pAda in the gallop of a lion, the third in movement of an elephant and the
last in the movement of a serpent. I must admit my ignorance about the
proper usage of these examples. However, one thing is certain that while
reading these verses one should maintain calmness free of any anxiety or
angst. Such a cool mind breeds Right knowledge. In fact Acaryashri
advocates such an approach in gatha no. 15 “One who views the soul with
unlimited coolness of mind as one unbound, untouched and alien to others
knows the entirety of Jina sasanam”.
The Jaina Metaphysics
According to Jainism, there are two distinct substances in any animate
being. One is the soul which is knowledge-embodiment and formless.
Another is matter which is unintelligent and has form, taste, colour, smell.
Some atoms of matter have forces of attraction and some other, the
opposite. These electromagnetic forces get manifested as likes (raaga) and
dislikes (dvesha) in the frame of less intelligent soul. Both soul and matter
are eternal, never created nor would be destroyed. Both undergo dynamic
transformations within themselves without loss of their intrinsic properties.
From beginningless time, both soul and matter “live together” in terms of
certain space-points. It is like two people sharing a room. Strangely this
living together has been mistaken as a single entity by the very soul which is
otherwise intelligent. This lack of distinction on the part of the soul is said to
be delusion or moha. Deluded soul has assumed the material expressions
such as attraction and repulsion as likes and dislikes of its own. Matter is not
a single entity but a collection or combination of many
3. atoms. At any given time, some atoms leave and some other atoms join this
material matrix. The deluded soul grieves at the loss of some materials and
gets elated at their accumulation etc. There is a genetic relationship between
one’s kith and kin. The deluded soul thus makes differentiation of some
people as its own and others as strangers. The society created by the
assembly of deluded souls has its own set of nomenclature, rules and
regulations. Thus we have a parallel world of deluded souls called samsara.
The identity with matter through bondage limits the expression of
intelligent soul. The real freedom lies in the liberation from bondage. A point
to be noted here is that never these two distinct substances, soul and matter
exchanged and would never exchange their distinct qualities. The vocabulary
and the language of physical world such as doer, enjoyer etc is alien to pure
soul. Both the substances are independent but operate through mutual
inspirations called nimitta naimittika relationship. What is this mutual
inspiration? Let me take an example. On a rainy day, a person returning
from a shop sees another going with his umbrella. He suddenly remembers
that he has left his umbrella in the shop and returns back to pick it up. In
this instance, neither of them met nor exchanged a glance or a word but the
inspiration worked on its own. The deluded soul confuses this relationship to
be the cause and effect. This confusion leads to unreal assumption of
doership and ownership etc. Modern physicists are capable of identifying the
presence of hydrogen and helium etc in the sun through the spectral analysis
of solar radiation. Similarly, an enlightened soul can distinguish soul from
non-soul matter from proper analysis of the messages coming form a bonded
soul. He or she would ignore tone of anger in a conversation but would focus
only on the message of the spoken word. We need to develop such a faculty
of discriminative knowledge called bheda vigyana.
Essence of Jainism
Gleaning the records of world history, one could notice the academic
flavour in dealing with soul. The philosophers have been founding theories
and hypotheses about soul. Jainism possibly differs from such endeavour. In
Jainism, it is not merely an academic exercise satiating one’s intellectual
appetite. Tirthankara-s call for investment of faith in the existence of soul. In
Jainism, the eternal existence of soul is an article of faith. Then only, one can
make spiritual progress. Once you have that unflinching faith, then you must
put all efforts to acquire the true knowledge of that substratum. With these
two faculties of faith and knowledge, you mend your ways. This is in
essence, the Jainism.
4. The core message of Samayasara
Acaryashri lays down in simple words the philosophy of this entire book
in the second gatha: “The soul synonymous with or immersed or in unison
with the righteousness of faith, knowledge and conduct is said to be in its
own nature (swa samayam). When it is positioning itself with matter is said
to be straying out (para samayam)”. All the subsequent gathas elaborate this
core philosophy and explain what is the domain of the soul and that of
matter in terms of spiritual, physical and psychological expressions. Since
the subject matter is tough, hitherto unknown and never-before experienced,
he makes use of simple examples form daily life to drive home the point.
There are 37 examples spread over 76 gatha-s. The Jains are familiar with
seven principles (tatva), nine padartha and eight limbs of Samyag Darshana
which Acaryashri make use of them to distinguish the positions of both
samaya. Nischaya naya or experiencing the soul directly without any agent
of words or images is the message of this sacred book. Since both absolute
(nischaya) and practical (vyavahara) viewpoints are two important tools of
Jain philosophy, the references to naya occur in 24 gatha-s (I-16, 28, 29; II
- 8, 10, 18, 21, 22, 29; III - 15, 16, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 73; VIII - 36, 40; X
– 17, 46, 53, 58 & 107). Vyavahara naya according to him is only a tool to
reconcile with the state of ignorance or avidya and a language to explain the
same to the beginners. Vyavahara naya is not absolute but of limited validity
(gatha no. 11). Similarly, the 14 gunasthana-s, 14 marganasthana-s etc. are
the loci to identify the mundane souls in the universe. One should not
devote too much of time in understanding these details at the expense of the
pursuit of swasamaya. Punya and paapa are two faces of same coin viz
karma which ensures bondage. Punya is also bondage as paapa is. One
should instead concentrate only on the soul’s quality of seer and knower in a
dispassionate way. That alone would end the bondage.
Selected verses
The soul is unique, unbound, untouched, independent, unperturbed
and uncomplicated. Such a view is the true view (gatha no. 14). I am alone;
unadulterated super-consciousness of vision and knowledge; and formless. I
don’t have even an atom of matter or other substances in me (gatha no. 38).
For this reason, the soul is devoid of any flavour, form, smell, sound but an
embodiment of consciousness or intelligence. It cannot be represented truly
by any image (gatha 11 ch. 2). I should keep reminding myself “I am alone,
verily pure, unattached super-consciousness; by such attitude and behavior,
I clean off impure thoughts and behaviour” (gatha 3:5). The impurities in our
thoughts, words and acts are moha, avidya and ignorance (gatha 3:21).
They in turn whip off polarised views of likes and dislikes. Such polarity leads
to heat and tension called anger, ego, conceit and greed. The function or
5. expression of soul does not lie in passions. The eight types of karma or the
grosser forms like body and limbs are not a part of the intelligence of the
soul. It is a myth that anger or conceit can solve anything or only through
body, the soul can survive (gatha 6:1 to 3). Radiation of gold gives out only
gold rays. Pure knowledge only radiates intelligence but ignorance breeds
ignorance (Gatha 3:60). The talisman given by the author: Attachment to
others leads to bondage whereas detachment leads to Independence or
Liberation. This is in essence the Jinavani. Please do not get attached with
karma. (gatha 4:6). Once you know and live with this talisman, all activities
in the domain of karma such as “sensual enjoyment” leads to their withering
(gatha 7:1). This is the true art of living.
Influence of Samayasara on Other Works
Acarya Kunda Kunda influenced and inspired a great Srmanic tradition
till at least the next millennium. It won’t be an exaggerated statement that
Adi Sankara and subsequent non-Jain saints were greatly influenced by the
zeal of this philosophy leading to further divisions such as advaita, dvaita
and visheshadvaita etc. The spirit of this book is the soul of Bhagawata Gita.
The sound basis of these schools can be gauged only through the reading of
Samayasara. A few couplets (nos. 27, 34, 35, 266, 345, 346, 360, 361 and
370) from the Jaina magnum opus, TirukkuRaL would suffice to elucidate the
deep influence of Samayasara on theological foundations of the past in south
India.
The Epilogue:
Pray, install your Self in the path of liberation;
Immerse your Self in the path of liberation;
Live your Self in the path of liberation and
DO NOT TRESPASS for your Self-sake (gatha 412).