Samayasār (Samaysar) — “Essence of the Self” — is Acharya Kundakunda’s classic in Jaina Śaurasenī Prakrit. It belongs to the Digambar tradition and consists of gāthās (verses) that reveal the pure nature of the soul (jīva) and the way to liberation through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. For a brief note on Acharya Kundakunda, see

Below are simple English renderings of a few central Samayasār gāthās’ meanings (arth), kept faithful to the traditional Digambar understanding. These are meaning-based, not word-for-word:

• The pure soul is the knower and seer only; in its true nature it neither causes nor receives material actions. Doership belongs to matter (pudgala) from the practical viewpoint, but from the absolute viewpoint the soul remains unattached.

• Delusion (mithyātva) hides the soul’s purity. When right faith (samyag-darśana) arises, the soul knows itself as distinct from body, mind, and senses.

• Color, taste, smell, and touch are attributes of matter, not of the soul. The soul’s nature is consciousness (upayoga) — knowing and seeing.

• Bondage happens through passions (kaṣāya) that attract and bind karmas. Stoppage of new karma (saṁvara) and shedding of bound karma (nirjarā) come through equanimity, restraint, and meditation.

• From the worldly (vyavahāra) view, “I act, I experience.” From the absolute (niścaya) view, the pure self neither acts nor suffers; it simply knows.

• Worship of Arihantas and Siddhas is supreme, yet the highest refuge is the realization of one’s own self as of the same pure nature they attained.

• Right conduct (cāritra) begins when attachment and aversion subside; as passions thin, the soul’s luminosity shines forth and liberation becomes certain.

• The essence of religion is inner purity: remaining a witness to all states, unaffected, steady in the Self.

About traditions

• Samayasār is primarily a Digambar scripture. Śvetāmbara scholars also study it with respect, but its canonical status and commentarial lineage are Digambar. Expositions by Digambar ācāryas emphasize the two standpoints (niścaya and vyavahāra) exactly as above.

If you want the full English text, it is extensive; traditionally it is studied with commentaries. It is best read systematically, section by section, preserving the Digambar arth and intent.