| Jnanarnava | |
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| Information | |
| Religion | Jainism |
| Period | 11th Century CE |
| Part ofa series on |
| Jainism |
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Ethics Ethics of Jainism
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Jnanarnava (Sanskrit: ज्ञानार्णव,IAST:Jñānārṇāva, meaning 'Ocean of Wisdom on Meditation') is an importantJain text inSanskrit on various topics useful to themendicant but focuses primarily onmeditation. Another name for this text isYogapradipadhikara meaning, the Book that Illuminates Meditation.
Jnanarnava is an important work inJainism focusing ondhayana (meditation), its techniques and results. But it does not focus only on meditation, but is underpinned byJain ontology and presents the Jain teachings in the light ofYoga. Subhacandra distinguishes three categories ofdhyana—good, evil and pure, in conformity with the three types of purposes, viz., the auspicious, the inauspicious and the transcendental. At another place, he classifiesdhyana intoprasasta (the psychical or psychological view) andaprasasta (practical or ethical view). In addition to this, he also elaborately expounds the process ofdhyana by classifying meditation intopindastha (five forms of contemplation or dharmas),padastha (contemplation by means of certain Mantric syllables),rupastha (meditating on the divine qualities and the extraordinary powers of theArihants) andrupatita (meditation on the attributes ofSiddhatman).[1]
Besides meditation, this books deals extensively on Jain ethics like Ahimsa, Satya etc. One of the most forceful statement on Ahimsa is found in the Jnanarnava: "Violence alone is the gateway to the miserable state, it is also the ocean of sin; it is itself a terrible hell and is surely the densest darkness"; and "If a person is accustomed to committing injury, then all his virtues like selflessness, greatness, desirelessness, penance, liberality, or munificence are worthless" (8.19-20).[2]
Jnanarnava is a fairly extensive work and has 39 chapters and 2230 verses. The 39 chapters are:[3]
Acarya Shubhacandra does not mention his name anywhere in this exhaustive work on meditation. However, the influence of earlier luminaries like Jinabhadra Gani Kshamashramana, Acarya Pujyapada, Acarya Akalanka, Acarya Jinasena, Acarya Amrtacandra, Acarya Somadeva and Acarya Amitagati is clear in this work. In turn, he has influenced the work of Acarya Prabhacandra and Acarya Hemacandra. He may be dated as having lived in the 11th century CE.[4] Shubhacandra was a guru to Gangaraja, general and prime minister to King Bittideva under whose guidance he undertook many acts of piety and religion to advance the cause ofJainism.[5]
The Jain religion places a great deal of emphasis on purity of conduct and the ability of the soul to attain liberation through the highest level of meditation. However, there are not that many books on meditation written by the Jains. This automatically places this text in an exclusive category, along with Jinabhadra Gani'sDhyanashataka,Pujyapada'sSamadhitantra,Haribhadra'sYogabindu andYogadrshtisamuccaya,Jinasena'sAdipurana, Amitagati'sYogasara Prabhrta andShravakacara, Gunabhadra'sAtmanushasana andHemacandra'sYogashastra. There is an uncanny resemblance between this text and Hemacandra's ‘Yogashastra’. Clearly, one has influenced the other. Since Shubhacandra precedes Hemacandra, it is likely that Hemacandra is influenced by Shubhacandra.
Following is a partial list of commentaries onJnanarnava:[6]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)FourteenPurvas (The Prior Knowledge –considered totally lost) | ||||||||||||||||
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†Tattvartha Sutra is accepted by both Digambara and Śvetāmbara as their texts, although Śvetāmbaras do not include it under canonical texts. | ||||||||||||||||