अनेक अलंकरणों से अलंकृत आचार्य अकलंकदेव

Summary

The article discusses the life and legacy of Acharya Akalankadeva, a highly revered Jain logician and philosopher adorned with numerous titles such as "Tarkika Chakreshvara," "Vadisimha," and "Jinashasanalankarta." His exact birth period remains uncertain, as ancient scholars rarely recorded personal details. However, researchers, both Indian and Western, have attempted to determine his timeline based on contextual references. Two primary views exist: one places him in the 7th century, supported by scholars like Pandit Kailash Chandra Shastri and Dr. A.N. Upadhyay, while the other positions him in the latter half of the 8th century, advocated by Pandit Nathuram Premi and Dr. R.G. Bhandarkar. A significant event in Akalankadeva's life was his defense of Jainism through a debate with Buddhists, where his brother Nikalanka sacrificed his life. He also famously defeated Tara Devi, who debated from behind a curtain inside a pot, which he destroyed using his knowledge. Pandit Kailash Chandra Shastri identifies him as a prince from South India, with his father named Laghuhastva. Akalankadeva's contributions to Jain logic are unparalleled. His works include Tattvarthavarttika, Ashtashati, Laghiyastraya, Nyayavinishchaya, Siddhivinishchaya, and Pramanasangraha. Other texts like Swarupasambodhana are disputed. His logical framework was accepted by both Digambara and Shvetambara traditions. Numerous inscriptions across Karnataka, dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, honor him with titles like "Tara Vijeta" and "Jinamata Kuvalaya Shashanka." Later scholars, including Acharya Prabhachandra and Vidyananda, praised him as a supreme logician and defender of Jainism. His legacy as a peerless thinker and protector of the