Ācārya Śrī Siddhasenadivākarasuri | |
|---|---|
 An idol of Acharya Siddhasenadivākarasuri at a Śvetāmbara Jain temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 5th century CE |
| Died | 5th century CE |
| Notable work(s) | Nyāyāvatāra,Kalyanmandir,Vardhman Shakrastav |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Sect | Śvetāmbara |
| Initiation | by Acharya Vruddhavadisuri |
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Siddhasenadivākarasuri (Jain Prakrit:सिद्धसेनदिवाकरसूरि) was aJain monk of theŚvetāmbara sect in the fifth century CE who wrote works onJain philosophy and epistemology.[1][2][3] He was like the illuminator of the Jain order and therefore came to be known asDivākara, "Sun". He is credited with the authorship of many books, most of which are not available.Sanmatitarka ('The Logic of the True Doctrine') is the first major Jain work on logic written inSanskrit.[4][5] Among the most popular of his works, theKalyan Mandir Stotra is aSanskrit hymn dedicated to the 23rd TirthankaraParshvanatha. It is one of the 9 holiest recitations (Nav Smaran) in theŚvetāmbara Murtipujak sect ofJainism.
Two references to Siddhasena's Sanmati Tarka and one reference of Siddhasena himself are found in Jinadāsagaṇī Mahattarā's cūrṇi which is believed to have had been written in 676 CE. Therefore, according to Pandit Bechardas Doshi and Pandit Sukhlal Sanghvi's translation of Sanmati Tarka, Siddhasena Divakarasuri was aŚvetāmbara ascetic in the 5th century CE.[6]
Siddhasenadivākarasuri is said to have lived in fourth or fifth century CE and is said to have flourished in theGupta Empire.[7][8][9] He was a Brahmin by birth and a scholar.[8] He was initiated byAcharyaVṛddhavadisuri.[10] His name at birth was Kumudchandra.[11] He was a proud Brahmin. However, when he lost a debate to Acharya Vruddhavadisuri, he accepted initiation into the Jain sangha.[12] He came to be known as Acharya Siddhasensuri or AcharyaSiddhasenadivākarasuri after he was given the position of an acharya. He is one of the most reveredAcharyas of theŚvetāmbara sect.
According to the tradition,Siddhasenadivākarasuri once planned to translate all the Jaina works fromprakrit toSanskrit.[13] He was asked by his master to visit all theJain temples as a punishment. He thus visited the Jain temples for twelve years.[14] He then came upon aLinga temple in Ujjain. He slept at the temple with his feet towards theLinga, which is a symbol ofShiva. KingVikramaditya had him beaten for the sin on request of the devotees. However, with miraculous powers,Siddhasenadivākarasuri made that the King's wife receive the beating instead of him, looking at his miraculous powers he was then set free. King Vikramaditya requestedSiddhasenadivākarasuri not to sleep in front of the Linga and should start worshipping him,Siddhasenadivākarasuri replied to the king's request stating that the Linga would not be able to handle his devotion and bhakti, thus he then started to praise the lord by residing his composition "The Kalyan Mandir Stotra" as he reached the 11th verse, the sky rumbled, the temple bells started ringing and the Linga opened thus emerging the idol of Avanti Parshwanath from within.[15][16] This idol is worshipped by theŚvetāmbara sect and it is one of the 108 most revered images of the 23rd TirtankaraParshvanatha as worshipped by theŚvetāmbara Murtipujak sect. It is believed that the idol of Avanti Parshvanath was created and worshipped byMahakala himself.[17][18]
He is said to have spent the rest of his life in the vicinity ofBharuch inGujarat.[19]
Siddhasena's main contribution in the Sanmatitarka is his analysis of the Jaina theory ofAnekantavada.[20] According to Jeffery Long, Siddhasena divides the seven classical Jainnayas (standpoints, viewpoints) into two categories: "those which affirm the substantiality of existence (dravyāstikanayas)[21] and those which affirm the impermanent, changing aspects of existence (paryāyāstikanayas)."[1] This view sees the best account of reality as one which includes permanence and impermanence, identity and difference in a complex set of contradictory relations. Siddhasena also argued that the number of possiblenayas or viewpoints of reality is potentially limitless.[1] He then goes on to correlate each of the nayas with the positions of Indian philosophical schools, showing how each view is not only partial but also one sided.[21]
He is credited with authorship of -
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