Akalanka (also known as Akalank Deva and Bhatta Akalanka) was a Jain logician whose Sanskrit-language works are seen as landmarks in Indian logic.[1][2] He lived from 720 to 780 A.D. and belonged to the Digambara sect of Jainism.[1][3] His work Astasati, a commentary on Aptamimamsa of Acharya Samantabhadra deals mainly with jaina logic. He was a contemporary of Rashtrakuta king Krishna I. He is the author of Tattvārtharājavārtika, a commentary on major Jain text Tattvartha Sutra. He greatly contributed to the development of the philosophy of Anekantavada and is therefore called the "Master of Jain logic".[4][5]

Acharya Shri 108
Akalanka
Ji Maharaj
Akalanka
Image of Acharya Akalanka
Personal
Born720 CE
Died780CE
ReligionJainism
SectDigambara

Life

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Akalanka flourished in 750 AD.[6] He was aware of the contents of the Angas, although it cannot be said whether they represent an idea rather than a reality for him, and he also seems to have been the first Digambara to have introduced as a valid form of scriptural classification the division into kalika and utkalika texts which was also employed by the Śvetāmbaras.[7] He is mentioned as a logician and a contemporary of Subhatunga and Rashtrakuta king Krishna I.[6]

The samadhi of Acharya Akalanka is located between Thurupammor and Karanthai villages, at a distance of 19 km from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

Works

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The following Sanskrit-language works are attributed to Akalanka. Some of these are:[8][9]

  • Laghiyastraya
  • Pramānasangraha
  • Nyāyaviniscaya-vivarana
  • Siddhiviniscaya-vivarana
  • Astasati
  • Tattvārtharājavārtika

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Akalaṅka; Goyal, Devendra Kumar (1 January 2005). The Enlightened Vision of the Self. Radiant Publishers. p. 1,2. ISBN 9788170272441.
  2. ^ Ganga Ram Garg (1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World. Concept. p. 288. ISBN 978-81-7022-375-7.
  3. ^ Singh & Baruah 2003, p. 9.
  4. ^ Singh & Baruah 2003, p. 110.
  5. ^ Singh & Mishra 2007, pp. 9–13.
  6. ^ a b Vidyabhusana 2006, p. 186.
  7. ^ Dundas 2002, p. 80.
  8. ^ Singh & Baruah 2003, p. 32.
  9. ^ Sures Chandra Banerji (1989). A Companion to Sanskrit Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 10. ISBN 978-81-208-0063-2.
  10. ^ Pushpathanathar Jain Temple, Thurupammor-Karanthai

References

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Further reading

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  • Akalaṅka. Tattvārthavārttikā (Rājavārttikam), ed. Mahendrakumar, 2 vols, Kashi, 1953 and 1957.