Samantabhadra was a Digambara acharya (head of the monastic order) who lived about the later part of the second century CE.^[1][2] He was a proponent of the Jaina doctrine of Anekantavada. The Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra is the most popular work of Samantabhadra. Samantabhadra lived after Umaswami but before Pujyapada.

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Acharya Samantabhadra
Personal
Born	2nd century CE
Religion	Jainism
Sect	Digambara
Notable work(s)	Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, Āpta-mīmāṁsā, Jinaśatakam

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Samantabhadra is said to have lived from 150 CE to 250 CE. He was from southern India during the time of Chola dynasty. He was a poet, logician, eulogist and an accomplished linguist.^[3] He is credited with spreading Jainism in southern India.^[4]

Samantabhadra, in his early stage of asceticism, was attacked with a disease known as bhasmaka (the condition of insatiable hunger).^[5] As, digambara monks don't eat more than once in a day, he endured great pain. Ultimately, he sought the permission of his preceptor to undertake the vow of Sallekhana.^[6] The preceptor denied the permission and asked him to leave monasticism and get the disease cured.^[5] After getting cured he again joined the monastic order and became a great Jain Acharya.^[7]

Samantabhadra affirmed Kundakunda's theory of the two nayas - vyavahāranaya (‘mundane') and niścayanaya (ultimate, omniscient). He argued however that the mundane view is not false, but is only a relative form of knowledge mediated by language and concepts, while the ultimate view is an immediate form of direct knowledge.^[8] Samantabhadra also developed further the Jain theory of syādvāda.^{[citation needed]}

Jain texts authored by Acharya Samantabhadra are:^[9]

• Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra^[10] (150 verses)- The Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra discusses the conduct of a Śrāvaka (Jain laity) in detail.^[4]
• Gandhahastimahabhasya, a monumental commentary on the Tattvartha Sutra. The Gandhahaslimahahhasya, with the exception of its Manglacharana (salutation to the deity), is extant now.^[11] The Manglacharana is known as the 'Devagama stotra' or Āpta-mīmāṁsā.^[4][12]
• Āpta-mīmāṁsā- A treatise of 114 verses, it discusses the Jaina concept of omniscience and the attributes of the Omniscient.^[4][13]
• Svayambhustotra (fifth century CE)^[14] - A Sanskrit adoration of The Twenty-four Tirthankaras^[15] - 143 verses.^[4] It was later translated by Dhyanatray (1676-1726) in Agra.^[14]
• Yuktyanusasana- Sixty-four verses in praise of Tirthankara Vardhamāna Mahāvīra^[4]
• Jinasatakam (Stutividyā)^[16](116 verses)- Poetical work written in Sanskrit in praise of twenty-four Jinas.^[17]
• Tattvanusasana^{[citation needed]}
• Vijayadhavala tika^{[citation needed]}

Jinasena, in his celebrated work, Ādi purāṇa praises the Samantabhadra as^[18]

Acharya Samantrabhadra’s glory reigned supreme among all poets, scholars, disputants, and preachers; he was like a jewel on their heads.