समयसार (प्राकृत गाथा एवं हिन्दी-अंग्रेजी व्याख्या)

PREFACE It was on a cold December day in 2010 when I reached Kundkund Bharti, New Delhi, to seek the blessings of Āchārya 108 Vidyanand ji Munirāj. The Āchārya instructed me to reflect upon the following verse that appears in Samayasāra ¹ by Āchārya Kundkund: एदम्हि रदो णिच्चं संतुट्ठो होहि णिच्चमेदम्हि। एदेण होहि तित्तो होहिदि तुह उत्तमं सॉक्खं॥ (7-14-206) (हे भव्य!) तू इस ज्ञान में सदा प्रीति कर, इसी में तू सदा सन्तुष्ट रह, इससे ही तू तृप्त रह। (ज्ञान-रति, सन्तुष्टि और तृप्ति से) तुझे उत्तम सुख होगा। Translated into English, it suggests: (O bhavya – potential aspirant to liberation!) Always adore this knowledge, in this only always remain contented, and fulfilled. You will attain supreme bliss (through knowledge-adoration, knowledge- contentment, and knowledge-fulfillment). I had earlier printed Samayasāra for Kundkund Bharti in 1994 and had gone through, intently, all the pages of the treatise during the process of proofreading. Samayasāra could not create any lasting impression on me. But it was different this time. Just one verse in the treatise impelled me to start the study of Samayasāra in right earnest. I found in Samayasāra answers to most intriguing riddles that agitate human mind. Why the treatise could not influence me then is explained most beautifully and authoritatively in Samayasāra itself: सत्थं णाणं ण हवदि जम्हा सत्थं ण याणदे किंचि। तम्हा अण्णं णाणं अण्णं सत्थं जिणा विंति॥ (10-83-390) शास्त्र ज्ञान नहीं है क्योंकि शास्त्र कुछ नहीं जानता; इसलिए ज्ञान अन्य है, शास्त्र अन्य है, ऐसा जिनेन्द्रदेव कहते हैं। (ix)