Pancastikayasara

Summary

Pañcastikayasara (en: the essence of reality), is an ancient Jain text authored by Acharya Kundakunda.[1] Kundakunda explains the Jain concepts of dravya (substance) and Ethics. The work serves as a brief version of the Jaina philosophy. There are total 180 verses written in Prakrit language.[2] The text is about five (panch) āstikāya, substances that have both characteristics, viz. existence as well as body.

Pancastikayasara
Pancastikayasara
Pancastikayasara
Information
ReligionJainism
AuthorKundakunda
Period1st century B.C.
Verses180

Āstikāya edit

 
Five āstikāya

The five āstikāya mentioned in the text are :—[3]

  1. Jīva (soul),
  2. Pudgala (matter),
  3. Dharma (medium of motion),
  4. Adharma (medium of rest), and
  5. Akasa (space)

Notes edit

References edit

  • Kundakunda, Acharya; Chakravarti, Appaswami; Upādhye, Ādinātha Neminātha (2001), Ācārya Kundakunda's Pañcāstikāya-sāra, Bharatiya Jnanpith, p. 16, ISBN 978-81-263-1813-1
  • Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1991), Gender and Salvation: Jaina Debates on the Spiritual Liberation of Women, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-06820-3