Pravachansara

This document is a preface and introduction to "Pravacanasāra - Essence of the Doctrine," a Jain text authored by Ācārya Kundakunda, translated and edited by Vijay K. Jain, and published by Vikalp Printers in 2018.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text:

1. The Text and Its Significance:

• Title: "Pravacanasāra - Essence of the Doctrine" (Ācārya Kundakunda Virachita Pravachansāra).
• Author: Ācārya Kundakunda, a revered Jain philosopher and saint.
• Translator/Editor: Vijay K. Jain.
• Publisher: Vikalp Printers.
• Purpose: The book aims to present the core teachings of Jainism as expounded in Ācārya Kundakunda's seminal work, "Pravacanasāra."
• Key Themes: The text delves into profound discussions on knowledge (jñānatattva), objects of knowledge (jñeyatattva), and conduct (cāritratattva) from a Jain perspective. It emphasizes the importance of scripture, right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct for achieving liberation.
• Universality: The text is noted as being part of the curriculum in many universities, highlighting its scholarly and spiritual value.

2. Divine Blessings and Support:

• The publication is blessed by Ācārya 108 Vidyānanda Muni, a prominent Digambara Jain ascetic. His foreword and blessings are included, emphasizing the profound study required for "Pravacanasāra."
• Ācārya Prajñasāgara is also acknowledged for his significant contribution in proofreading and editing the work.

3. Historical Context of Jain Scripture:

• The preface traces the origin of Jain scripture (āgama) back to the divine discourse of Tīrthańkaras, particularly Lord Mahāvīra.
• It explains the role of the gañadhara (Apostle), a disciple of exceptional brilliance, in assimilating and composing the scripture into twelve departments (dvādaśāńga) and fourteen purvas (prakīrņaka).
• The gradual loss of the oral transmission of the āgama and the subsequent efforts by learned ācāryas like Ācārya Dharasena to compile them in written form (e.g., Saṭkhaṇḍāgama) are mentioned.

4. The Rise of Ācārya Kundakunda:

• Ācārya Kundakunda is presented as a pivotal figure who composed some of the finest Jain scriptures, including "Pravacanasāra," "Samayasāra," "Niyamasāra," and others.
• His lineage is traced back to the last śrutakevalī Bhadrabāhu, indicating his access to the authentic doctrine of Lord Jina.
• A traditional story about his life, involving a cowherd boy and the reverence for sacred texts, is recounted, although its veracity is noted as not fully established.
• He is known by several names, including Padmanandi, Vakragrīvācārya, Elācārya, and Grddhapicchācārya.
• His era is placed at the beginning of the Christian era, supported by scholarly conclusions and Ācārya Vidyānanda's agreement.

5. Core Concepts Explained in "Pravacanasāra":

• Cognition (Upayoga): Consciousness manifests as cognition, which is the soul's unique identifier. Cognition is further divided into:
  • Pure-cognition (Suddhopayoga): This state is achieved through conduct without attachment (vītarāga cāritra), leading to liberation. It is characterized by freedom from delusion, agitation, attachment, and aversion.
  • Auspicious-cognition (Śubhopayoga): This involves dispositions like charity, adoration of the Supreme Beings, and observance of vows. It leads to worldly happiness and merit, but also contributes to the cycle of rebirth.
  • Inauspicious-cognition (Aśubhopayoga): This involves dispositions like sense-indulgence, passions, and non-observance of vows, leading to suffering and bondage.
• The Soul (Ātmā): The soul is fundamentally knowledge itself. It is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient by nature. It is formless (amūrtīka) but becomes form-bound (mūrtīka) due to karmic bondage. The soul's true happiness is found in pure-cognition, free from the senses and external influences.
• Delusion (Moha): This is the primary cause of misery. It stems from a false view of substances and leads to attachment (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa). Overcoming delusion is crucial for liberation.
• Substance (Dravya): Substances are characterized by origination (utpāda), destruction (vyaya), and permanence (dhrauvya). They possess qualities (guņa) and modes (paryāya). The existence of a substance is confirmed by the presence of all three: substance, quality, and mode.
• The Five Substances (Astikāya): The text details the non-soul substances: matter (pudgala), medium of motion (dharma), medium of rest (adharma), space (ākāśa), and time (kāla), explaining their attributes and characteristics.
• Bondage (Bandha): Bondage is caused by the soul's impure transformations, driven by passions like delusion, attachment, and aversion. This impure cognition (aśuddhopayoga) leads to the influx and bonding of karmic matter.
• Ascetic Conduct (Śrāmaṇya): The text outlines the appropriate conduct for ascetics, emphasizing their marks – both external (dravyalińga) and internal (bhāvalińga). This includes twenty-eight primary attributes (mūlaguņa) like vows, regulations, and sensory control. It stresses the importance of diligence, detachment, and appropriate partaking of food and roaming.
• The Scripture as Eyes: Ascetics are encouraged to study the Scripture as it provides the "eyes" to understand reality and attain liberation.
• Right Faith and Conduct: Liberation cannot be attained without right faith (samyagdarśana) and right conduct (samyakcāritra), even with scriptural knowledge.
• Non-Absolutism (Anekāntavāda): The inherent complexity of reality, understood through multiple standpoints (naya), is a fundamental principle. The synthesis of these standpoints, often expressed through syādvāda, reveals the truth.
• The Pure Soul (Suddhātmā): The ultimate goal is to realize the pure soul, which is the source of infinite knowledge, perception, and bliss, and is the liberated soul (Siddha).

6. The Book's Structure and Presentation:

• The book is divided into three sections: Reality of Knowledge, Reality of Objects-of-Knowledge, and Reality of Conduct.
• Each verse (gāthā) is presented with its Sanskrit text, a Hindi translation and explanation (sāmānyārtha), and an English translation with an explanatory note.
• The translation and editing by Vijay K. Jain are lauded for their clarity and depth, making profound Jain philosophy accessible.

7. Biographies:

• A brief biographical note on Vijay K. Jain highlights his academic background in Engineering and Management, and his extensive work in translating and authoring Jain scriptures.
• The blessings and profiles of Ācārya Vidyānanda Muni and Ācārya Prajñasāgara provide spiritual and scholarly context.

8. Acknowledgments:

• The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of numerous authentic Jain texts and publications that were used in the preparation of this volume.

In essence, "Pravacanasāra - Essence of the Doctrine" by Vijay K. Jain is a scholarly and devotional presentation of Ācārya Kundakunda's teachings on the nature of the soul, reality, and the path to liberation, making these ancient Jain principles accessible to a modern audience through detailed Hindi and English explanations.