Merutuá¹ ga was a medieval scholar from present-day Gujarat in India and was a à ÂvÃÂtÃÂmbara Jain monk of the Achal Gaccha. He is presently most well-known for his Sanskrit text, the PrabandhacintÃÂmaá¹Âi, composed in 1306 CE. He also wrote VicÃÂraà Âreá¹Âë in 1350 CE which describes the chronology of ChÃÂvá¸ÂÃÂ, Chaulukya and VÃÂghelàdynasties.
The PrabandhacintÃÂmaá¹Âi was composed in VardhamÃÂna (modern-day Wadhwan) in VS 1361 PhÃÂlguna à Âukla 15, a Sunday. In the text itself, Merutuá¹ ga states that Gaá¹Âë Guá¹Âacandra compiled the first version of the text and that Dharmadeva assisted Merutuá¹ ga in the compilation of the final version.
The TherÃÂvalë of Merutuá¹ ga is a Paá¹Âá¹ÂÃÂvalë that presents a chronology from Mahavira to the arrival of and invasion by the Sakas in India.
The VicÃÂraà Âreá¹Âë is a bhÃÂá¹£ya on his earlier TherÃÂvalë and was likely composed in VS 1363 (1306 CE).
The á¹¢aá¸Âdarà Âananirá¹Âaya is a general exposition, a doxography of 6 contemporary religious philosophies (darà Âanas) during Merutuá¹ ga's time: Buddhism, NyÃÂya, SÃÂá¹Âkhya, Vaià Âeá¹£ika, MëmÃÂá¹ÂsÃÂ, and Jainism. It is unique among medieval Jain doxographies in that it presents refutations on non-Jain positions found in the other philosophies.
The work has survived with a bhÃÂá¹£ya, likely written by Merutuá¹ ga himself, and is a charita, a biography, of five great figures in Jainism: á¹Âá¹£abhadeva, NeminÃÂtha, à ÂÃÂntinÃÂtha, PÃÂrà ÂvanÃÂtha, and MahÃÂvëra. Additionally, in the bhÃÂá¹£ya, the original work is named the Upadeà Âaà Âataka and the Dharmopadeà Âaà Âataka. It is also referred to as the Vivaraá¹Âa.