Acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings i ...

Manatunga (c. seventh century CE) was the author of the Jain prayer '' Bhaktamara Stotra''. His name only appears in the last stanza of the said prayer. He is also credited with composing another

Śvetāmbara The Śvetāmbara (; also spelled Shwetambara, Shvetambara, Svetambara or Swetambara) is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. ''Śvetāmbara'' in Sanskrit means "white-clad", and refers to its ascetics' practi ...

hymn titled ''Namiun Stotra or Bhayahara Stotra'', an adoration of Parshvanatha. According to a Digambar legend, Manatunga composed the ''Bhaktamara Stotra'' when he was locked up in prison for failing to appear before the royal court of King

Bhoja Bhoja was the Paramara dynasty, Paramara king of Malwa from 1010 until his death in 1055. He ruled from Dhara (city), Dhara (modern Dhar), and Military career of Bhoja, fought wars with nearly all his neighbours in attempts to extend his king ...

. A

legend as stated in the 14th century text

Prabandha-Chintamani ''Prabandha-Chintamani'' (IAST: Prabandha-cintāmaṇi) is an Indian Sanskrit-language collection of '' prabandhas'' (semi-historical biographical narratives). It was compiled in c. 1304 CE, in the Vaghela kingdom of present-day Gujarat, by Jain ...

says that he was locked up to test the mantric powers of Śvetāmbara Jain monks. As he composed each stanza of the ''Bhaktamara Stotra'', the 44 (

tradition) or 48 (

Digambara ''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major Jain schools and branches, schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvetāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic pract ...

tradition) locks of his chain were broken one by one. The

literature contains extensively described biographies of Acharya Manatungsuri. The oldest mention of the legend of the composition of the Bhaktāmara Stotra is in Acharya Prabhachandrasuri's

Prabhavakacarita Prabhāvakacarita (Life of the Prominent) is a Jaina text devoted to history, composed by Prabhācandra, an '' acarya'' of the Śvetāmbara tradition of Jainism in 1277–78. While Prabhāvakacarita is dedicated to the lives of Jain monks of th ...

written in 1277 CE.

Biography

According to

, he was born in

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

. His father's name has been mentioned as ''Brahmakshatriya Dhandev.'' He was initiated by Acharya Jinsinhsuri of the Vanvaasi Gaccha of the Śvetāmbara Murtipujak sect. The place where he composed the Bhaktāmara Stotra is also

as stated in the 13th century text. The details provided in

are also corroborated by the Pattavali of Śvetāmbaras. The second oldest mention of Manatungsuri is again a piece of

literature, the 1305 text

authored by Merutungasuri. Another mention is also found in Acharya Gunakarsuri's ''Bhaktamar Stotra Vritti'' written in 1370 CE. Earliest mentions of Acharya Manatungsuri in

literature can only be dated to 1665 CE in ''Bhaktamar Charit'' by Bhattaraka Vishwabhushan.

Pattavalis, including the most popular ones like the one at Shravanabelagola Digambara temple do not mention Acharya Manatungsuri.

References

Sources

* *

External links

Bhaktāmara Stotra by Mānatuṅgasūri with English translation by Prof. Hiralal Rasikdas Kapadia
{{Jainism topics Śvetāmbara monks Digambara Acharyas Indian Jain monks 7th-century Indian Jains 7th-century Jain monks 7th-century Indian monks

Biography

See also

References

Sources

External links