Pravacanasāra, attributed to Ācārya Kundakunda, is a compact Prakrit work in verse, traditionally understood as being arranged into three principal chapters. These three divisions are often seen as unfolding the path in a graded manner: beginning with right knowledge, moving through an understanding of the soul and reality, and culminating in right conduct. The text thus presents a carefully ordered spiritual architecture rather than a loose collection of aphorisms, and its structure itself becomes a teaching on how insight ripens into liberation.

The first chapter is devoted to right knowledge, frequently designated as a section on jñāna or samyag-jñāna. Here the concern is with the nature of true knowing, the standpoints from which reality may be viewed, and the distinction between real and conventional perspectives. By dwelling on these themes, the chapter lays the epistemic foundation for all that follows, clarifying how the knower, the known, and the act of knowing are to be rightly understood. In this way, the opening movement of the work orients the seeker toward a vision of reality that is both discriminating and inwardly grounded.

The second chapter turns to the soul and right faith, often described as a section on jīva or samyag-darśana. Its verses explore the inherent qualities of the soul—such as consciousness, knowledge, and bliss—and mark off the soul from body and matter. Within this framework, themes of bondage and liberation are treated, together with the contrast between internal and external views of the self. The structure of the work thus leads from clarified knowledge to a deepened trust in, and insight into, the true nature of the experiencing subject.

The third chapter is devoted to conduct, commonly referred to as cāritra or samyag-cāritra. Here the emphasis shifts to the lived expression of the insights developed in the earlier chapters, with attention to vows, restraint, and the conduct appropriate to ascetics and lay followers alike. The text highlights purity of intention and inner renunciation as the decisive factors in spiritual practice, suggesting that outer discipline finds its true meaning only when rooted in an inward transformation. Taken together, the three chapters present a coherent path in which right knowledge and right faith naturally flower into right conduct, embodying the Jain ideal of a life aligned with true reality.