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Acharya Nemichandra SIDDHANT CHAKRAVARTY
"Just as a chakravarty with the help of Sudarshan wheel conquers the six great
lands, I (Nemichandra) have by virtue of my quest for truth, assimilated the six
divisions of the scriptures of Jain philosophy (Shat Khandagam)". He was known
as Siddhanta Chakravarty (the repository of the all pervading philosophy enunciated
by omni-conscious lords of the Jain order). He was a contemporary of
the Jain king Chamunda Rai, whose time is the first half of the 11th century. So
he lived in this land then.
He was not an ordinary scholar; his great living works, Gomattasar Jivkand,
Gomattasar Karmakand, Triloksar, Labdhisar and Kshapanasar are shining examples
of his extraordinary erudition and a full justification of the title Siddhanta
Chakravarty i.e. the great master of the fundamental principles. On the persuasion
of King Chamund Rai, he wrote Gomattasar taking the essence of
all available works of the great Acharyas. Jivkand and Karmakand are two parts
thereof.
The Shat Khandagam written by Bhutbali and Pushpadanta, the disciples of Acharya
Dharsen, is the oldest work in the old traditional Jain literature. In the first
part of this treatise many subjects from the soul and soul combined with karmas
aspects have been described. Keeping these in view Siddhanta Chakravarty Nemichandra wrote Gomattasar and divided it in two parts, Jivkand and Karmakand.
Gomattasar is a regular text-book of the Jain Vidyalayas. In the first chapter
of this great work, Gunasthans have been elaborately dealt with. This lesson has
been written keeping in view the deliberations there. For a wide knowledge of
the Gunasthans, students are advised to study Gomattasar Jivkand.
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