Pujyapada

Pujyapada
Digambara Acharya

Pujyapada

Digambara Acharya
Name (official) Acharya Pujyapada
Personal Information
Born Devanandi
464 CE
Died 524 (aged 59–60)
After Initiation
Works Sarvārthasiddhi, Iṣṭopadeśa

Acharya Pujyapada or Pūjyapāda (464 - 524 CE)[1] was a renowned grammarian and saint belonging to the Digambara tradition of Jains. Since it was believed that he was worshiped by demigods on account of his vast scholarship and deep piety, he was named Pujyapada. He was said to be the guru of King Durvinita of the Western Ganga dynasty.[2]

Biography

Before initiation as a Jain ascetic, he was known as Devanandi.[3] He was heavily influenced by the writings of his predecessors like Acharya Kundakunda and Acharya Samantabhadra. He is rated as being the greatest of the early masters of Jain literature.[4] He was prominent preceptor, with impeccable pontifical pedigree and spiritual lineage. He was a great yogi, sublime mystic, brilliant poet, noted scholar, eminent author and master of several branches of learning.[5] He wrote in Sanskrit, in prose as well as verse form.[6] He was pontiff of the Nandi sangha, which was a part of the lineage of Acharya Kundakunda. He was the tenth guru of the pontifical lineage of the Nandi Sangha. He was born in a Brahmin family of Karnataka. His parents were Madhava Bhatta and Shridevi.[7]

It is likely that he was the first Jain saint to write not only on religion but also on secular subjects, such as ayurveda and Sanskrit grammar. Acharya Pujyapada, besides being a profound scholar of the Jain religion and a mendicant walking in the footsteps of the Jinas, was a grammarian, master of Sanskrit poetics and of ayurveda. His skill as a logician is evident from his work Sarvarthasiddhi, a commentary on the Tattvarthadhigamasutra.[3]

Works

Book cover of one of the English translation of Iṣṭopadeśa
Digambara Jain monks hold that one must master three texts in order to have a fruitful ascetic career:
i) Samādhitantra to cleanse the soul
ii) Jainendra Vyākaraṇa to cleanse one's language
iii) Kalyāṇakāraka to cleanse one's body and keep it free of disease and the debilitating effects of aging.

Philosophy

Pujyapada is emphatic and focused that liberation is the only way to attain eternal bliss. Pointing to the knotty nature of materialism, existentialism and hedonism he leads the reader to the path of spiritual bliss through rational knowledge, rational perception and rational conduct. He is a writer of brevity and does not believe in highly embellished poetry. He says what he needs to in simple Sanskrit verse.

Netra Prakashika is estimated to be a work of Pujyapada. A stone carving laid in Nagara taluk of Shivamogga district provides a solid proof of the excellence of medical writings of this Pujyapada Muni. British historian Edward Peter Rice, has accepted that: Pujyapada, also known as devanandi, belongs to the sixth and seventh century. He was a jain muni, who practiced yoga and was believed to have acquired extra ordinary psychic powers. He travelled throughout South India. He wrote a treatise in Sanskrit on medicine which long continued to be an authority. The sanctity of Pujyapada is legendary in the minds of jain scholars. Pujyapada remained immortal in Kanakagiri, a jain pilgrimage centre in Karnataka (near Mysore). Acharya Pujyapada had a celestial power of contemplating with shri simandaraswamy of videha kshetra. He inspired his nephew Nagarjuna to install the sacred foot prints of 24 prophets and finally attained nirvana in Kanakagiri. The name– kanaka-giri, literally mean the mountain of gold. It is the result of alchemy experiments of Nagarjuna, who tried to convert entire mountain into gold. It is also said that Pujyapada himself taught the secrets of rasa shastra to Nagarjuna, the tallest personality in the history of Rasa Shastra.

This ancient book on eye diseases authored by Pujyapada Nandikeshvara is now published by Chaukhamba Vishvabharati, Varanasi, with English rendering, illustrating most of the conditions quoted in the text. The reference of Netra Prakashika is found in – ‘A check list of Sanskrit medical manuscripts in India’ edited by Bhagavat Ram Rao, published by institute of history of medicine, Hyderabad in 1972 in association with CCRAS, New Delhi, in page number 38, manuscript in devanagari script (TSML) – 11073. The abbreviation TSML refers to Tanjavur Saraswati Mahal Library, located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Importance of Netra Prakashika

  1. Ophthalmic complications of systemic diseases : Several systemic diseases will lead to ocular complications. Such specific diseases and their ophthalmic complications are not illustrated in the front line texts of ayurveda. Netra Prakashika has enlightened the readers about the specific complication of internal diseases like Prameha, Granthi, Kamala and Grahani. Such description will herald new horizons in the understanding retinal problems like diabetic retinopathies.
  2. New diagnostic method for different dosha invasions of the eye : There are new clues towards the diagnosis of vataja dristi, Pittaja dristi, Kaphaja dristi along with the clinical judgment on shuddha dristi and ashuddha dristi ( normal and abnormal eye).
  3. Iotrogenic diseases of the eye: The eye complications produced due to improper treatment of other diseases are given due importance. A separate chapter is devoted towards the diagnosis and management of them, entitled – nana kritrima sanjata netra roga.
  4. Pilla Roga and Patala Roga : Most of the diseases mentioned in Netra prakashika are not found in other ayurvedic texts. Though Yogaratnakara, Gadanigraha and Bhaishajya ratnavali have described new therapeutics for eye diseases like patala roga and pilla roga, the explanation of these diseases are not found in the texts. Vagbhata has separately classified 18 chronic disease as pilla roga, but their separate clinical features are not provided. Netra Prakashika has given comprehensive account of ten types of pilla roga of the eyelids and thirteen types of patala roga that trouble the conjunctiva.
  5. Special classification : Eye diseases are classified based on the presenting symptoms like disturbance to the appearance of conjunctiva ( drik shukla rupa), corneal opacities (pushpa) etc.,
  6. Karmaja netra roga and Karma shanty : A great stress is laid upon the bad deeds in the origin of incurable diseases. A novel therapeutic regimen with charity, prayers and worship of God are specified to restore health.
  7. Ten stages of eye diseases: The different stages of the eye diseases and their termination in visual loss is depicted with great details. Immediate attention at the earliest stage is advocated for complete remission of the disease. They start from slight pain, redness, pus discharge,dryness, softening of the lens, staphyloma, foulsmell, phthisis and blindness.
  8. Importance of chronicity : Eye diseases are clinically classified as roga bala (acute stage), roga kaumara kala (sub acute stage) and roga vardhakya kala(chronic). The eye disease with long duration ( chronic) are always considered as of guarded prognosis .
  9. Occular tumours and visual problems : There are details of several ocular tumours and diseases that reduce the visual perception, which are not even mentioned in any other text of ayurveda.
  10. Protection of eye: Prevention of eye diseases with carrot and other green leaves, yoga and pranayama are explained separately in netra traniya adhryaya.
  11. Therapeutic excellence :Separate chapters are provided for the topical medications like anjana. Most drug formulations mentioned in Netra prakashika are original and are not found in any other books of ayurveda.
  12. Medicated oils to cure eye disease: A novel drug delivery system by medicated oils is advocated in the treatment of eye diseases. Specific oil formulations are advised to each disease in the form of shiro basti, shiro taila, abhyanga and basti. In addition, the role of panchakarma like vamana, virechana, rakta moshana and nasya karma are emphasised.
  13. One hundred eye diseases : There is a passing reference about the classification of eye diseases in Chakrapanidatta commentary The ancient authorities like Videha has enumerated 76 diseases, Satyaki 96 diseases and Karala 80 diseases in the eye. Vagbhata and Sharangdhara have enlisted 94 pathological conditions in the eye. Netra Prakashika has accounted highest number – 100 of ailments in the eye.

The diseases are classified based on the site of affection and the etiological factors as follows: Diseases of the eyelids and eyelashes 24 Diseases of the shukla sandhi 09 Diseases of shweta mandala 13 Diseases of the krishnamandala 05 Diseases produced as a complication 22 Diseases extending to entire eyeball 20 Diseases disturbing vision 07

Pujyapada has written an exclusive text book on the management of eye diseases entitled NETRA PRAKASHIKA. The manuscript is in taleyole form is available in tanjore sarswathi mahal library of tanjavur.

Notes

  1. ↑ Jain, Jyoti Prasad (2005), The Jaina Sources of the History of Ancient India (Second ed.), p. 102
  2. ↑ "Jaina Antiquary". Volume XVIII.1, pp 13-15.
  3. 1 2 3 Upinder Singh 2008, p. 524.
  4. ↑ Page 98, Jain, Jyoti Prasad. The Jaina Sources of the History of Ancient India. Second, revised edition: 2005.
  5. ↑ Page 98, Ibid.
  6. ↑ Page 98, Ibid.
  7. ↑ Introduction. Jain, Jaykumar.Samadhitantra. First edition, 2006.
  8. 1 2 Jain 2014, p. xiv.

References

External links

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