Uttarapurana

Uttarapurana

Uttarapurana 9th-century Jain text by Acharya Gunabhadra
Author	Gunabhadra and Jinasena
Original title	उत्तरपुराण
Language	Sanskrit
Series	Mahapurana (Jainism)
Subject	Jainism
Genre	Epic poetry
Published	9th–10th century CE
Publication place	India
Preceded by	Adipurana

The Uttarapurana (Sanskrit: उत्तरपुराण) is a major Jain text composed in Sanskrit, forming the second part of the larger Mahapurana (Jainism) in the Digambar tradition. It was begun by Acharya Jinasena and completed by his disciple Acharya Gunabhadra in the 9th–10th century CE.

Content

The Uttarapurana narrates the lives of the last 22 of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras, beginning with Ajitanatha (2nd Tirthankara) and concluding with Mahavira (24th Tirthankara). Each Tirthankara’s life is presented as an ideal model of spiritual progress, emphasizing the Jain principles of renunciation, non-violence, and liberation.

The text continues the narrative framework established in Jinasena’s Adipurana, which was dedicated to Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara. While Adipurana focused on cosmology and early Jain figures, the Uttarapurana completes the mytho-historical cycle.

Authorship

The Uttarapurana was started by Acharya Jinasena but left incomplete at the time of his death. It was completed by his disciple Acharya Gunabhadra, who was also a student of Acharya Gunasena.

Together, the Adipurana and Uttarapurana are collectively referred to as the Mahapurana (Jainism), one of the most revered narrative texts in Jain literature.

Influence

The Uttarapurana had a significant impact on later Jain literary and philosophical works. Its poetic form and devotional tone inspired many subsequent writers in Sanskrit, Kannada, and other Indian languages. It also played a role in spreading Jain values among the royal courts and lay communities of South India during the Rashtrakuta period.

See also

• ⁠Adipurana
• ⁠Digambara
• ⁠Gunabhadra
• ⁠Jinasena
• ⁠Mahapurana (Jainism)

References

Sources

• Jain, Pannalal (2015), Uttarapurāṇa of Āchārya Guṇabhadra, Bhartiya Jnanpith, ISBN 978-81-263-1738-7
• Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
• ⁠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.