Samayasāra’s dense exploration of the soul’s true nature laid the groundwork for a host of later Jain treatises. Kundakunda’s knack for slicing through complexity with razor-sharp aphorisms inspired authors like Amritaghosha and Amritchandra to adopt similarly concise sutra formats in works such as Pravachanasāra and Pañcaśatikāyasāra. Both Digambara and Śvētāmbara scholars penned extensive commentaries to unpack its terse verses, demonstrating that its influence easily crossed sectarian lines.

Philosophically, Samayasāra’s crystal-clear distinction between the immutable self (niscaya) and the fluctuating worldly self (vyavahāra) became the backbone of medieval debates on dravya (substance) and bhāva (state). When Acharya Haribhadra squared off against Yogācāra Buddhism, echoes of Kundakunda’s reflections on consciousness and karma bolstered Jain arguments for ahimsa and inner detachment.

Even today, Samayasāra’s legacy bears fruit. At the 2024 International Jain Conference in Bangalore, sessions compared Kundakunda’s methods of self-realization with modern mindfulness techniques, proving that a text born in India’s early philosophical era still resonates in the digital age. Online communities focused on spiritual growth frequently quote its core message: inner purity transcends ritual, reminding readers to sweep their own doorstep before pointing fingers at the world.

Its ripple effect touches literature too. Ethical-living guides for lay Jains weave in Samayasāra’s insights, while contemporary poets mine its verses for vivid metaphors of reason battling passion. By fusing rigorous metaphysics with practical ethics, Samayasāra didn’t just lay a foundation for subsequent Jain philosophy—it charted a living tradition that continues to speak to anyone on the timeless quest to find the essence beneath habit and illusion.