Aryanandi (8th century)

Acharya Aryanandi
Acharya Aryanandi
Personal life
Era	8th century CE
Notable work(s)	No surviving texts
Religious life
Religion	Jainism
Sect	Digambar
Religious career
Teacher	Acharya Chandrasena
Successor	Acharya Virasena
Disciple of	Acharya Chandrasena
	Disciples Virasena and Jayasena;

Acharya Aryanandi (fl. 8th century CE) was a Digambar Jain monk and teacher, best known as the spiritual preceptor of Acharya Acharya Virasena, the influential commentator on Jain canonical literature. Aryanandi is remembered primarily through the "pattavali" (monastic lineage records), where he is credited with transmitting key teachings of the Digambara tradition to the next generation of scholars.^[1]

Life

Aryanandi lived during the early to mid-8th century CE, a formative period in the evolution of Digambara scholarship in South India. Though few biographical details survive, his presence is recorded in Jain monastic genealogies as an important link between earlier acharyas and the flowering of scholastic activity during the Rashtrakuta period.^[2]

Influence and Disciples

Aryanandi's most important disciple was: Acharya Virasena – the principal author of portions of the Dhavala commentary on the Shatkhandagama, a foundational Digambara scripture.

Through Virasena, Aryanandi indirectly influenced:

Jinasena I – author of the Adi Purana and co-author of the Mahapurana
Gunasena (Jinasena II)* – commentator on the Dhavala
Gunabhadra* – co-author of the Uttarapurana^[3]

Works

No known texts are directly attributed to Aryanandi, which suggests that his teachings may have been transmitted orally. Nevertheless, his role as a teacher and transmitter of scriptural knowledge was critical to the continuation of the Jain doctrinal lineage.

Legacy

Aryanandi holds a respected place within Digambara tradition as a silent pillar behind the resurgence of Jain philosophy in South India. His mentorship of Virasena ultimately contributed to some of the most significant Jain literary achievements of the 9th and 10th centuries CE.

References

^ Jaini, Padmanabh S. The Jaina Path of Purification. University of California Press, 1979, p. 294.
^ Upadhye, A. N. “Jinasena and His Literary Contributions.” In: Jaina Sahitya aur Itihasa, Mysore University, 1965.
^ Dundas, Paul. The Jains. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2002, pp. 84–85.

Bibliography

•⁠ ⁠Dundas, Paul. The Jains. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2002. •⁠ ⁠Jaini, Padmanabh S. The Jaina Path of Purification. University of California Press, 1979. •⁠ ⁠Upadhye, A. N. “Jinasena and His Literary Contributions.” In: Jaina Sahitya aur Itihasa. Mysore University, 1965.