Mulachara

Mulachara
Mulachara
Information
Religion	Jainism
Author	Acharya Vattakera
Language	Prakrit
Period	150 CE
Chapters	12
Verses	1243

Mulachara (Mūlacāra) (Fundamental Conduct) is a Jain text composed by Acharya Vattakera of the Digambara tradition,^[1] around 150 CE.^[2]^[3] Mulachara discusses anagara-dharma – the conduct of a Digambara monk.^[4] It consists twelve chapters and 1,243 verses on (mendicant discipline). It is also called Digambara Acharanga.^[5] It is said to be derived from the original Ācārāṅga Sūtra and discusses the conduct of a Digambara monk.

The text is written in a dialect that is distinct but shares characteristics with Ardhamagadhi.^[1] Its dialect has been called Digambara Sauraseni (or Jain Sauraseni) and proposed to reflect the language of ancient Mathura region by Indian scholars.^[1] Many characteristics of the Mulachara manuscript, as found in Karnataka, share elements of monastic conduct found in Śvetāmbara scriptures.^[1] Some of the verses of Mulaccara are almost same as those found in Śvetāmbara's Dasavaikalika. This suggests the existence of an ancient shared textual tradition between Digambaras and Śvetāmbara, one that likely split and differentiated later.^[1]^[6]

Vasunandin wrote a Sanskrit commentary on the Mulacara, and it is titled Acaravrtti.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Dundas 2002, p. 80.
^ Jaini 1991, p. 47.
^ Bhakti in the Early Jain Tradition: Understanding Devotional Religion in South Asia, John E. Cort , History of Religions, Vol. 42, No. 1 (Aug., 2002), pp. 59-86
^ Mulachara Ka Samikshatmaka Adhyayana; Premi, Phulchand Jain, 1987
^ Jaini 1998, p. 79.
^ ^a ^b A.M. Ghatage (1954). Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Volume 16. Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute. pp. 36–37.