Dravyasamgraha

10th century Jain Acarya, Nemicandra Siddhānta Cakravartin is regarded as the author of Dravyasaṃgraha. He was the teacher of Camundaraya—the general of the Western Ganga Dynasty of Karnataka. Nemicandra was a prolific author and a specialist in summarizing and giving lucidly the essence of teachings in various fields; saṃgrahas (compendium) and sāras (essence) were his specialty. He also wrote Trilokasāra (essence of cosmology), Labdhisāra (essence of attainments), Kṣapaṇasāra (essence on destruction of karmas), and Gommaṭasāra (essence of Gommata, a treatise on soul and Karma).[1] Although not much is known about him from his own works, at the end of the Trilokasāra and of the Gommaṭasāra, he introduces himself as a pupil of Abhayanandi, Vīranandi, Indranandi and Kanakanandi. He is said to have inspired Camundaraya to build the famous Bāhubali statue at Shravanabelagola. Vahuvali Charitra (a Jain work based on collection of traditions) notes that Nemicandra belonged to the monastic order of Desiya gana. After establishing the statue of Bāhubali, Camundaraya offered villages yielding a revenue of 96,000 gold coins to Nemicandra for daily worship of and festivals for Gommatesvara (Lord Bāhubali).[2]

English translation by Nalini Balbir

Dravyasaṃgraha has played an important role in Jain education and is often memorized because of its comprehensiveness and brevity.[1] The composition of Dravyasaṃgraha is influenced from the earlier Jain works such as Umāsvāti's Tattvārthasūtra and Kundakunda's Pañcāstikāyasara because these works are based on the same topics as the Dravyasaṃgraha.[3]

According to Nalini Balbir, the Dravyasaṃgraha is largely a work of definitions of concepts with mnemonic perspective. In its 58 verses, the author makes skillful use of āryā metre.[3] Nemicandra's presentation is often articulated around the opposition between the conventional and the absolute points of view (vyavahāra and niścaya-naya), or around the contrast between the material and the spiritual angles (dravya and bhāva). Sarat Chandra Ghoshal, the translator of Dravyasaṃgraha, divides the entire text in three convenient parts—the first part deals with six dravyas (verses 1–27), the second with seven tattvas (verses 28–39) and the third part describes the way to attain liberation (verses 40–57).[4]

Obeisance to Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (five supreme beings)

Verses 49 to 54 of the Dravyasaṃgraha, succinctly characterizes the five Supreme Beings (Pañca-Parameṣṭhi) and their characteristics.[10][11]

Having destroyed the four inimical varieties of karmas (ghātiyā karmas), possessed of infinite faith, happiness, knowledge and power, and housed in most auspicious body (paramaudārika śarīra), that pure soul of the World Teacher (Arhat) should be meditated on.

— Dravyasaṃgraha (50)[12]

One of the most popular commentaries of Dravyasaṃgraha is that by Brahmadeva from around the 14th century. Other commentaries on the work include:[13]

• Balacandra (1142) – Tika on Nemicandra's Dravyasamgraha
• Mallisena (1292) – Commentary on Nemicandra Siddhantin's Dravyasamgraha
• Brahmadeva (1300) – Vrtti on Nemicandra's Dravyasamgraha
• Hamsaraja (1750) – Commentary on Nemicandra's Dravyasamgraha.
• Ramacandra – Commentary on Nemicandra's Dravyasamgraha.

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Dravyasamgraha

• Jain Agamas
• Jainism
• List of Jain texts

• Jain, Vijay K. (2013), Ācārya Nemichandra's Dravyasaṃgraha, ISBN 9788190363952, Non-copyright
• Acarya Nemicandra; Brahmadeva (1989), Ghoshal, Sarat Chandra (ed.), Dravya-saṃgraha of Nemichandra Siddhānta-Chakravarttī, (in English, Prakrit, and Sanskrit), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publ, ISBN 81-208-0634-4
• Nemicandra; Nalini Balbir (2010), Dravyasamgrha: Exposition of the Six Substances, (in Prakrit and English) Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series (vol-19), Mumbai: Hindi Granth Karyalay, ISBN 978-81-88769-30-8
• श्रीमद् नेमिचन्द्र सिद्धान्तदेव जी विरचित: "श्री द्रव्यसंग्रह जी", Aadhyatmik Prayogshala