OM Acarya Pujyapada ISHTOPADESHA Sanskrit text + Hindi translation Hindi translation by Dr Jaykumar Jalaj Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 14 Third Edition: 2013 2013 22 x 14 cm 32 pages 978-81-88769-23-0 Paperback Acarya Pujyapada lived in the 5th century CE and was a renowned grammarian, seer and saint. Named Devanandi at birth, his vast knowledge and deep piety led to his being worshipped by demi-gods. Hence he was named Pujyapada. He lived in the era following the Digambara giants Kundakunda and Samantabhadra and their influence is evident in his writings. Pujyapada wrote on a variety of subjects. His work on Sanskrit grammar, Jainendra Vyakarana is one of the finest early works on Sanskrit grammar. His pioneering commentary on the Tattvarthasutra, titled Sarvarthasiddhi, remains unsurpassed for its conciseness and precision. It serves as the definitive text for all Digambara works on the Tattvarthasutra. His Samadhitantra is a veritable masterpiece on yoga and adhyatma, outlining the path to liberation through differentiating the soul from the body. He is a writer of brevity and does not believe in highly embellished poetry. He says what he needs to in elegant and simple Sanskrit verse. Ishtopadesha is a short work of 51 verses where the author points to the real and ethical aspects of life using examples from our day to day lives. In very simple language, the learned Acarya adumbrates the spiritual requirements that transform our mundane lives into the sublime. He differentiates between the important and the trivial, the essential and the non-essential and explains how the soul is different from its mortal coil. He also goes a step further and explains that without realising the essential difference between the eternal, i.e. the soul and the mutable, i.e. the body, all the meritorious deeds one performs and all the devotion will not lead to liberation. Pujyapada is clear and focused that liberation is the only way to attain eternal bliss. He points to the problematic nature of materialism, existentialism and hedonism and leads the reader onto the path of spiritual bliss through correct knowledge, rational perception, yogic practices and simple living. He is not bound by ideology and preceptor lineage. He advocates spiritual progress through ethical conduct. Hence, his works have universal appeal. I invite all of you, who read Hindi and are interested in understanding the Jain doctrine in a very simple and concise manner, to read this book.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 06:00:12 +0000
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