Siri Bhuvalaya (सिरि भूवलय) is a famous Jain epic.

• Author and tradition: It is traditionally attributed to Kumudendu Muni, a Jain monk from the Digambar lineage. The work is described as a grand Kannada kavya by Kumudendu, and it is often treated as a Digambar-era composition. Some scholars date the text to late first millennium (around the 9th–10th century) or to later centuries, with later narrations giving more precise biographical notes about Kumudendu and his circle. There is wide scholarly discussion about its exact dating, but its Digambar attribution is the most commonly cited tradition. ( jainqq.org, jainheritagecentres.com)

• Form and encipherment: Siri Bhuvalaya is written not as ordinary letters but in numeric script. It is said to encode multiple languages and scripts using a system of 64 numerals and 27×27 matrix patterns called chakras, so that the same text can yield readings in Kannada, as well as other languages when decoded with different keys (bandhas). This makes it a unique all-language kavya that blends literature, philosophy, and science. ( jainqq.org)

• Content and aim: The work is described as containing a wide range of topics—religious doctrine (Jain philosophy and scripture), poetry, mathematics, astronomy, geography, chemistry, medicine, and more. It is valued for its encyclopedic scope and for presenting Jain thought within a broad cultural-knowledge framework. It is also said to illuminate Indian sciences and arts through a Jain lens. ( jainqq.org)

• Important notes on meaning (arth): Because Siri Bhuvalaya is primarily a literary-cryptographic work, its “arth” (spiritual meaning) in Jain tradition is to convey Jain doctrinal concepts—such as the path to liberation, reverence to Jinas, and ethical conduct—through a sophisticated, language-spanning structure that showcases the unity of knowledge and devotion. The text is celebrated for preserving traditional Jain ideals while engaging with a wide range of scholarly disciplines. As with many ancient Jain works, the exact verses’ readings can vary by Digambar and Śvetāmbara scholarship, but the central Jain intent remains consistent: upliftment through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. ( jainqq.org)

If you’d like, I can summarize specific passages or discuss how Siri Bhuvalaya fits into the broader Jain literary tradition.