श्री पूज्यपाद सम्बन्धी कुछ ऐतिहासिक अभिलेख
By श्री कु्दनलालजी जेन, स्व. पं. जुगलकिशोरजी मुख्तार
Summary
This PDF presents historical records and references related to the Jain acharya Shri Pujyapada Swami, also known as Devanandi. He was a prominent 5th-6th century philosopher, grammarian, poet, and expert in prosody and Ayurveda. His notable works include Sarvarthasiddhi, Jainendra-Vyakarana, Samadhitantra, and Ishtopadesha. The text compiles various citations from different scriptures, pattavalis (lineage lists), inscriptions, and writings of other scholars that praise and mention Pujyapada. Acharya Devasena, in his work Darshanasara (composed in 990 CE), provides a timeframe for Pujyapada. The scholar Pandit Jugalkishoreji Mukhtar established Pujyapada as the teacher of King Durvinita of the south, whose reign is fixed at 485-522 CE, thus confirming Pujyapada's period. Acharya Jinasena called Pujyapada the "Tirthankara of poets." Acharya Shubhachandra stated that Pujyapada's teachings remove impurities of body, speech, and mind. An inscription at the Padmavati temple in Hummacha records Pujyapada's authorship of commentaries on Jainendra and Panini grammars. Numerous inscriptions from Karnataka, dating from the 11th to 15th centuries, mention Pujyapada alongside other luminaries like Akalanka and Samantabhadra, praising his scholarship in grammar and other fields. The text also notes that Pujyapada was born to Madhava Bhatta and Shridevi in a Brahmin family in the village of Kole in Karnataka. He was initiated into Jainism after witnessing a frog being swallowed by a snake. He was the head of the Saraswati Gachchha of the Nandi Sangha. Other acharyas like Vadiraja, Somadeva, and Prabhachandra
Conclusion
The historical records and inscriptions presented in this document firmly establish Ācārya Pūjyapāda as a towering intellectual figure of the 5th-6th century CE, whose influence spanned grammar, philosophy, Ayurveda, and literature. The numerous citations from diverse sources—including Śilālekhas, Paṭṭāvalīs, and the works of later scholars like Ācārya Devasena and Vādirāja—demonstrate his enduring legacy and the high esteem in which he was held across centuries. The evidence confirms his role as a teacher to King Durvinīta and his foundational contributions to Jain scholarship, particularly through works like the Sarvārthasiddhi and Jainendra-Vyākaraṇa. These findings underscore the importance of continued research into his life and works, as they provide critical insights into the intellectual history of early medieval India and the development of Jain philosophical and grammatical traditions.