A Note on Padmasundara and His Works

Padmasundara, a prominent Jain ascetic and scholar of the Nagapuriya Tapāgaccha, is celebrated for his literary output and spiritual influence. Historical sources, including the *Ain‑e‑Akbari*, suggest he is the figure “Paraminder” honoured at Emperor Akbar’s court. He was a pupil of the scholar Padmameru. Akbar formed a close friendship with him and retained a collection of his books; after Padmasundara’s death, the emperor presented these works to the later Acharya Hiravijayasuri. The poet Devavimala, in his *Hirasaubhagya*, lists these works and notes that they included a *mahākāvya* (epic poem) titled *Yadusundara*. Scholars once thought Padmasundara died between 1575 and 1582 because his last known work, *Pramāṇasundara*, dates to V.S. 1632. However, the discovery of *Yadusundara*, a twelve‑canto epic whose style is flamboyant and reminiscent of Śrī Harṣa’s *Naiṣadhacarita*, indicates that he was still active after 1575. The article argues that this poem likely dates from 1575–1581 and that Padmasundara probably died around 1581. This revision suggests he lived at least six years longer than previously believed. Padmasundara’s friendship with Akbar is further reflected in works such as *Akbarasahi‑Śṛṅgāra‑Darpaṇa*, a treatise on poetics composed at the emperor’s request to explain the theory of *rasa*. Other known works include *Parśvanātha‑kāvya*, *Rāyamallabhyudaya*, *Jñānacandrodaya‑nāṭaka*, *Pramāṇasundara* and the lexicon *Sundaraprākāśaśabdārṇava*. Collectively, these works cover poetry, drama, rhetoric, lexicography and philosophy, demonstrating his versatility.

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