Jinēndra Varṇī, (Jain Prakrit: जिनेन्द्र वर्णी), one of the best-known Jain scholars of the 20th century, is known for his pioneering five-volume Jainendra Siddhanta Kosha and Saman Suttam compilation, the first text accepted by all Jain orders in 1800 years.
Jinēndra Varṇī was born in Panipat in 1922 to a prominent Agrawal Jain family. He struggled all his life with health problems. In 1938 he lost one lung due to tuberculosis. Still he studied electrical and wireless engineering.
Jinēndra Varṇī left home in 1957 and during his wanderings he joined the well-known Ganesh Varni, who ordained him a kṣullaka or junior monk. However, he was unable to follow the vratas of a kṣullaka due to his health problems and returned to being a Śrāvaka.
In 1983, approaching death, Jinēndra Varṇī began santhara on 12 April 1983 and was ordained again a kṣullaka by Acharya Vidyasagar. He died in samādhi on 24 May 1983.
Saman Suttam is the religious text created in 1974 by a committee consisting of representatives of each of the major sects of Jainism to reconcile the teachings of the sects. After a gap of about nearly two thousand years following composition of Tattvartha Sutra by Acharya Umasvati this was the first text to be recognized by all Jain sects. At Umaswati's time, although multiple orders existed, there was no clear sectarian division. By the 21st century however, Jainism had gradually been divided into several sects. For someone to compile a text at this time, and for it to be approved by all sects, was an exceptional event.
