Samayasāra is preserved first of all in its original Prakrit, the medium in which Ācārya Kundakunda cast his terse, aphoristic verses on the nature of the soul. Around this Prakrit core, a substantial Sanskrit commentarial tradition developed, especially within the Digambara lineage, where scholars sought to unfold the dense metaphysical implications of the gāthās. Among these, the works of Amṛtacandra and Jayaseṇa stand out as especially influential, providing systematic expositions that shaped how later generations understood key themes such as the distinction between pure self and non-self, and the perspectives of niścaya and vyavahāra. These Sanskrit commentaries became the principal bridge by which the original Prakrit teaching was transmitted into wider scholastic discourse.

Over time, the text and its classical commentaries were further preserved and reinterpreted through a range of regional languages. Hindi, Kannada, Gujarati, and Marathi traditions, among others, produced translations and explanatory works that rendered Kundakunda’s insights accessible to lay communities as well as to monastic scholars rooted in specific linguistic cultures. In these settings, the Sanskrit Digambara commentarial line, especially that of Amṛtacandra and Jayaseṇa, functioned as the backbone for vernacular exegesis, ensuring continuity of interpretation even as the medium of expression shifted. Modern English translations and studies, drawing heavily on this established tradition, have extended the reach of Samayasāra beyond its original cultural milieu, while still remaining anchored in the same core interpretive stream.

Thus, the life of Samayasāra unfolds across a layered tapestry of languages and commentarial voices: Prakrit as the seed, Sanskrit as the primary scholastic elaboration, and various Indian vernaculars and English as vehicles of further transmission and reflection. Through this multilingual preservation, the text’s central concern—self-realization and the discernment of the soul’s pure nature—has been contemplated in many tongues, yet guided by a relatively continuous interpretive lineage.