गोम्मटसार के कर्ता
By नेमिचन्द्र
Summary
The text discusses the Jain scripture *Gommaṭasāra*, a foundational text on karma and soul, composed in Prakrit with 734 verses in the "Jīvakāṇḍa" and 972 in the "Karmakāṇḍa." The name *Gommaṭasāra* appears in commentaries by Abhayacandra Sūri (1275 CE) and Keśavavarṇī (1359 CE), who also call it *Pañcasaṅgrahaśāstra* and *Pañcasaṅgrahaprapañca*. The author refers to it as *Gommaṭasaṅgraha*, *Gommaṭasaṅgrahasūtra*, and *Gommaṭasūtra*. The term "Gommaṭa" is analyzed: it is not found in Sanskrit or Prakrit lexicons but appears in Marathi and Konkani meaning "clean, beautiful, excellent," and in Kannada as "pleasing" or "excellent." The text's verse 965 states it was composed by "Gommaṭadeva" for the exhaustion of karmas and understanding of truths. The Sanskrit commentator identifies Gommaṭadeva as Śrīvardhamānadeva (Mahāvīra), but this is questioned as Mahāvīra did not author texts. Another view links "Gommaṭa" to Bāhubali, a son of Ṛṣabha, but the text's content has no connection to Bāhubali. The name may refer to Cāmuṇḍarāya, a general and minister of the Western Gaṅga dynasty, whose household name was Gommaṭarāya. The author is likely Nemichandra, mentioned in verse 967, and commentaries confirm he composed the work at the request of Cāmuṇḍarāya. The text summarizes six sections of the *Mahākarmaprakṛtip
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Conclusion
The analysis of the *Gommaṭasāra* reveals that its title and authorship are deeply intertwined with the historical figure Cāmuṇḍarāya, whose household name was Gommaṭarāya, for whom the text was compiled. This clarifies that the term "Gommaṭa" refers not to a deity or a different author but to the patron himself, resolving a long-standing scholarly ambiguity. The text’s enduring popularity, which led to the neglect of the original Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama and its commentaries, underscores its success as a concise and accessible digest of complex Jain doctrine. The identification of Nemicandra Siddhāntacakravartī as the author, active in the late 10th century, solidifies the text’s historical and doctrinal significance within the Digambara tradition, confirming its role as a pivotal summary of foundational Jain principles.