In short
Acharya Virasena composed the Dhavala, a monumental commentary on one of the oldest Digambar canonical texts, and made original contributions to mathematics, including early work on logarithms. His disciple Jinasena completed his unfinished commentary.
At a glance
- Rank
- Acharya
- Tradition
- Digambar
- Era
- 8th–9th century CE, c. 750–825 (some sources give 792–853)
- Key works
-
- Dhavala (commentary on the Shatkhandagama)
Contribution
Virasena composed the Dhavala, a monumental commentary on the Shatkhandagama, one of the oldest and most revered Digambar canonical texts. Alongside his theological work, he made original contributions to mathematics, including early treatment of logarithms in multiple bases and a method for deriving the volume of a frustum.
Life
A disciple of Acharya Aryanandi, Virasena flourished under the Rashtrakuta kings Dhruva Dharavarsha and Govinda III in the Deccan. His most prominent disciple, Jinasena, went on to complete his unfinished commentary and author the Adipurana.
Legacy
The Dhavala remains one of the most revered texts of Digambar scholasticism and a key source for reconstructing early Jain canonical teaching.