# Merutunga

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Jain monk and scholar

Merutunga Personal life Born 14th-century Died 14th-century Religious life Religion Jainism

**Merutuṅga** was a medieval scholar from present-day [Gujarat](/source/Gujarat) in [India](/source/India) and was a [Śvētāmbara](/source/%C5%9Av%C4%93t%C4%81mbara) [Jain](/source/Jainism) monk of the [Achal Gaccha](/source/Achal_Gaccha). He is presently most well-known for his [Sanskrit](/source/Sanskrit) text, the *[Prabandhacintāmaṇi](/source/Prabandha-Chintamani)*, composed in 1306 CE.[1][2] He also wrote *Vicāraśreṇī* in 1350 CE which describes the chronology of [Chāvḍā](/source/Chavda_dynasty), [Chaulukya](/source/Chaulukya_dynasty) and [Vāghelā](/source/Vaghela_dynasty) dynasties.[3][4]

## Works

### *Prabandhacintāmaṇi*

Main article: [Prabandha-Chintamani](/source/Prabandha-Chintamani)

The *Prabandhacintāmaṇi* was composed in Vardhamāna (modern-day [Wadhwan](/source/Wadhwan)) in VS 1361 [Phālguna](/source/Phalguna) Śukla 15, a Sunday.[5] In the text itself, Merutuṅga states that [Gaṇī Guṇacandra](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ga%E1%B9%87%C4%AB_Gu%E1%B9%87acandra&action=edit&redlink=1) compiled the first version of the text and that [Dharmadeva](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dharmadeva&action=edit&redlink=1) assisted Merutuṅga in the compilation of the final version.[6]

### *Therāvalī*

The *Therāvalī* of Merutuṅga is a [Paṭṭāvalī](/source/Pattavali) that presents a chronology from [Mahavira](/source/Mahavira) to the arrival of and invasion by the [Sakas](/source/Saka) in [India](/source/India).[7]

### *Vicāraśreṇī*

The *Vicāraśreṇī* is a [bhāṣya](/source/Bhashya) on his earlier *Therāvalī* and was likely composed in VS 1363 (1306 CE).[7]

### *Ṣaḍdarśananirṇaya*

The *Ṣaḍdarśananirṇaya* is a general exposition, a [doxography](/source/Doxography) of 6 contemporary religious philosophies ([darśanas](/source/Dar%C5%9Bana)) during Merutuṅga's time: [Buddhism](/source/Buddhism), [Nyāya](/source/Ny%C4%81ya), [Sāṃkhya](/source/S%C4%81%E1%B9%83khya), [Vaiśeṣika](/source/Vai%C5%9Be%E1%B9%A3ika), [Mīmāṃsā](/source/M%C4%ABm%C4%81%E1%B9%83s%C4%81), and [Jainism](/source/Jainism). It is unique among medieval [Jain](/source/Jain) doxographies in that it presents refutations on non-Jain positions found in the other philosophies.

### *Mahāpuruṣacarita*

The work has survived with a [bhāṣya](/source/Bhashya), likely written by Merutuṅga himself, and is a *charita*, a biography, of five great figures in [Jainism](/source/Jainism): [Ṛṣabhadeva](/source/Rsabha), [Neminātha](/source/Neminatha), [Śāntinātha](/source/Shantinatha), [Pārśvanātha](/source/Parshvanatha), and [Mahāvīra](/source/Mahavira).[8] Additionally, in the bhāṣya, the original work is named the *Upadeśaśataka* and the *Dharmopadeśaśataka*. It is also referred to as the **Vivaraṇa**.[8]

## References

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECort200135_1-0)** [Cort 2001](#CITEREFCort2001), p. 35.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESen199979_2-0)** [Sen 1999](#CITEREFSen1999), p. 79.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKailash_Chand_Jain199185_3-0)** [Kailash Chand Jain 1991](#CITEREFKailash_Chand_Jain1991), p. 85.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Rajyagor, S. B.; Chopra, Pran Nath (1982). "Chapter II: Source Materials of History of Gujarat". [*History of Gujarat*](https://books.google.com/books?id=-0pAAAAAMAAJ). New Delhi: S. Chand & Company Ltd. p. 17. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [12215325](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/12215325).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTETawney1901204_5-0)** [Tawney 1901](#CITEREFTawney1901), p. 204.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTETawney19012_6-0)** [Tawney 1901](#CITEREFTawney1901), p. 2.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEEggermont196967_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEEggermont196967_7-1) [Eggermont 1969](#CITEREFEggermont1969), p. 67.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWinternitz1996497_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWinternitz1996497_8-1) [Winternitz 1996](#CITEREFWinternitz1996), p. 497.

### Sources

- [Cort, John E.](/source/John_E._Cort) (2001), [*Jains in the World : Religious Values and Ideology in India*](https://books.google.com/books?id=PZk-4HOMzsoC), [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-513234-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-513234-3)

- [Jain, Kailash Chand](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kailash_Chand_Jain&action=edit&redlink=1) (1991), [*Lord Mahāvīra and His Times*](https://books.google.com/books?id=8-TxcO9dfrcC), [Motilal Banarsidass](/source/Motilal_Banarsidass), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-81-208-0805-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-208-0805-8)

- Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999) [1988], [*Ancient Indian History and Civilization*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC) (Second ed.), New Age International Publishers, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [81-224-1198-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/81-224-1198-3)

- Crouzet, François (1965), [*Studies in the Cultural History of India*](https://books.google.com/books?id=2HJDAAAAYAAJ), Shiva Lal Agarwala

- Arai, Toshikazu (1978), *The Structure of Jaina Kingship as Viewed by the Prabandhacintāmaṇi*

- Tawney, Charles Henry (1901), *The Prabandhacintāmaṇi or Wishing-Stone of Narratives*, The Asiatic Society of Bengal

- Eggermont, P. H. L. (1969), [*The Purāņa Source of Merutuṅga's List of Kings and the Arrival of the Śakas in India*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ks4UAAAAIAAJ)

- Winternitz, Moriz (1996), [*A History of Indian Literature, Volume 2*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Lgz1eMhu0JsC), translated by Sarma, V. Srinivasa, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9788120802650](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9788120802650)

- [Mahesh Singh](/source/K._M._Munshi) (1984). [*Bhoja Paramāra and His Times*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uPsgAAAAMAAJ). Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [11786897](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/11786897).

- [A. K. Warder](/source/A._K._Warder) (1992). [*Indian Kāvya Literature*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Fl0l5ZTkNxIC&pg=PA151). Vol. VI: The Art of Storytelling. Motilal Banarsidass. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-81-208-0615-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-208-0615-3).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merutunga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merutunga) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merutunga?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.