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JNANAŚRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS
Prof. Anantatal Thakur.
By
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In the history of Indian thought the Buddhist and Brāhmaṇical systems of Logic present a unique picture of parallel development. There is, however, a fundamental difference in their outlook: that between idealism and realism. This led to mutual refutation which continued in an unbroken line for generations of scholars resulting in the growth of a rich and vigorous literature. The Buddhist philosophers had bitter rivalry with other schools of thought also. But nowhere else it is so systematic and of such a long duration as in the case of the Nyayaśāstra. Each logician tried to uphold the position of his predecessor in the same school by refuting the views of the opponent of the latter in the opposite camp. This rivalry became more and more marked with the progress of time. And it became highly difficult to study the works of one author when those of his immediate predecessors in both the schools were not available. Let us take one example: Vācaspatimiśra I wrote his Nyāyavārtikatātparyaṭika in order to vindicate the position of Uddyotakara as given in his Nyayavārtika. Naturally he criticised the Buddhist philosopher Dharmakirti who in his Pramaṇavārtika had refuted Uddyotakara. Thus Logic was a living science and anything introduced in either of these schools is the result of historical necessity.
In the continuous development of these two schools there was so long a big gap between Vacaspatimiśral and Udayanācārya and we had no works of any outstanding Buddhist philosopher whose criticism provoked Udayana to vindicate the position of Vācaspati. That there was no such Buddhist work seemed to be impossible, for the Buddhist views criticised in Udayana's works are not found in pre-Vacaspati Buddhist philosophy. Again, those were the heydays of Buddhist philosophers at Nālandā
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Sp. Issue ] JNÂNASRIMITRA AND HIS WÔRKS and Vikramasilā under the patronage of the Pāla rulers of Gauda and Magadha.
References, however, show that Jñānaśrimitra was an important figure before Udayana. But we were in the dark about his contributions. Tibetan sources, however, inform us that this Jñānaśrīmitra hailed from Gauda, had a high place of honour among the scholars in Vikramasilā and was appointed the second Mahāstambha (great pillar) among the gate-keeping scholars of the Vikramasilā mahāvihāra. The great Atisa is said to have sought Jñānasri's advice on esoteric matters before his departure for Tibet. Again, Jñānaśri is said to have received special recognition from Naropant at the time of the latter's visit to Vikramaśilā. We further learn that one of the works of this Jñānaśrimitra called the Kāryakāraṇabhāvasiddhi is preserved in Tibetan translation. He is again said to have been a disciple of Ācārya Dharmapāla of Suvarṇadvīpa.
References to and quotations from his works are found in many philosophical works in Sanskrit also. And we find Vadi Devasūri attributing one Apohaprakaraņa to him. All these go to show the important place he occupied and the recognition his works received till their disappearance from India, after the fifteenth century A.D. When Sankaramiśra is found to quote him extensively.
The pilgrimages of Mahāpandita Rāhula Sānkrityāyana to Tibet have brought within our easy reach a number of works of this Jñānaśrīmitra along with other valuable works in original Sanskrit and we are now in a position to see how Vācaspatimiśra 'was criticised by him and what provoked Udayana to write his Nyāyavārtikatātparyaparisuddhi and Bauddhādhikāra.
The photoprints of palm-leaf manuscripts brought by the Mahāpaņdita and preserved in the Bihar Research Society, Patna, show that one bundle of 208 palm-leaves is entirely dedicated to Jñanaśri's works. It is written in legible Maithil script
1. Cf. Indian Pandits in Tibet, JBTS. 1893 and History of Indian Logic Vidyābhūsana p. 341.
2. 2500 Years of Buddhism p. 230.
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JNĀNASRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS (J. B. R. 3. of circa 12th century A. D. It consists of the following works:
1. Kṣaṇabhangādhyāyat (lb-62a), 2. vyāpticarcă (1b-9a), 3. Bhedābhedaparikşā (lb-2b), 4. Anupalabdhirahasya ( 2b-62, b). 5. Sarvāsabdābhāvacarca (6, b-8a), 6. Apohaprakaraṇa (8a-20b), 7. Iśvaravăda ( 205-54b, consting of three sections)
(i) Pūrvapakşa, (ii) Iśvaradūşaņa, and
(iii) Vārtikasaptaślokivyākhyāna, 8. Kāryakāraṇabhāvasiddhi (446-56a), 9. Yoginirņayaprakaraṇa (56a-65b), 10. Advaitabinduprakaraņa (65b-72a), 11. Sākārasiddhiśāstra ( 72a--122b), and
12. Sākārasamgrahasūtra (122-137al. Among these Nos. 1, 2, 11 and 12 have been specifically attributed to Jõānaśrīmitra.No. 6 has been quoted and ascribed to our author by Vädi Devasūri. The author also mentions it as his own composition in his Vyāpticarca (4a. 4). The Tibetan trànslation of No. 8 mentions Jñanaśrímitra as its author. Nos 7 and 10 also have been referred to by the author as his own works (766 and 96b). That No. 9 is also a work of Jñānaśrī seems to be certain as it refers to the Sarvajñāsiddhi (58a) which is elsewhere mentioned as another work of this author (656 and 114b). The contents of this work (No. 9) seem to show that Ratnakriti, Jñānasri's disciple, utilised it in his Sarvajñasiddhi. The rest are small tracts and betray no clue as regards their authorship. The learned discoverer, however, accepts all these twelve works as Jņānasri's contributions and he designates the entire bundle of MSS. under consideration as Jnānaśrinibandhah.
No other Mss. of any of the works mentioned above excepti No. 1, has been traced.
1. Noticed in JBRS, XXXVI, pp. 67–69.
2. Rahulji himself discovered a second Ms. of the Ksanabhangadhyaya which has been of immense help in filling up the missing portions in the photoprints.
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JNĀNASRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS
Over and above these, our author refers to a few other works or sections there of as his own of which the Vyāptigrahassamarthanaprastāva the Apohaprastāva and the Trikapancakacinta seem to be identical with Nos. 2, and 8 of our above list respectively. The Sthānanirūpana and the Tattvacinta could not be identified. The Sarvajnasiddhi as mentioned before, was another work of this author.
The titles of the works give an idea of the vast field traversed by our author. Kşanabhanga, Sākāravāda and Iśvaravāda were the burning topics during those days and he has naturally devoted considerable space to them. Writing on the abstruse philosophical topics, he has never become tiresome. On the other hand, his sense of humour and mastery over the language have made the works attractive. The sākārasamgrahasutra is written entirely in verse. Other works are also interspersed with beautiful verses in a number of metres skillfully used. The initial verse of the Sākarasamgrahaśūtra reminds us of the nāndiišloka of the Veņi samhāra of Bhattanārāyaṇa. It is at the same time a fine instance of double entendre.1
To a student of the History of Philosophy these works are a veritable mine of information. Jñänasri gives us an idea about the richness of the Vikramasilā monastery in the Sāstric side. That all the important works of Mahāyāna Buddhism were studied there is proved by the numerous quotations from and references to authors like Maitreyanāthapāda, Nāgārjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Sthiramati, Dignāga, Dharmākirti, Aryasvāmin, Pranākaragupta, Dharmottara, Subhagupta, Säntideva Arcața etc. etc.
1. Wat ja amigatraktit A: steret
सासूयं सदसि स्थितेषु कृतिषु प्रख्यातकीतिध्वपि । क्रूरन्यायमयो निराकृतिनियो दु:शासनः सांप्रतं सोऽयं मद्भजपञ्चरे निपतितः संरक्ष्यतां कौरवाः ॥
122b. 4. The following are the important Buddhist texts cited : Hetubindu, Pramānavārtika, Apohasiddhi of Dbarmottara, Madhyāntavibhāgasaastra, Abhisamayalamkāra, Mahayānottaratantra, Sütrālamkāra, Sūtrálamkārabhāsya, 'Sandhinirmocana sūtra, Piņdārtha of Dignāga, Candrapradīpa and Pajñāpāramità,
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JNÁNASRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS
[J. B.R..
Some of the works quoted here have not as yet been found in original Sanskrit while others are extremely rare. One particular author on whose view Jñānaśri has devoted considerable space in both the Sākārasiddhi and the. Sākārasaṁgrahasūtra deserves our special attention. He is Kumāranātha or Yuvarāja. Jñānaśri gives him a place of eminence by counting him among the great Ācāryas of the Vijñānavāda School as an associate of Dignāga. Dignāga, as we hear, received much help from Aryamañjuśșikumārabhūta, who was so long supposed to be a semimythological being. But the quotations and references here seem to bring him down to the concrete land of history.1.
The references decide Jñānaśrimitra's affiliation also. He belongs to the school of Aryamaitreyanāthapada which was successively strengthened by Vasubandhu, Dignāga and Dharmakirti. It is well known that Dhramakirti's Pramāņavārtika was the basis of three different schools among which Jñānaśrī belongedto the religious school started by Prajñākaragupta, the author of the Pramāņavārtikabhāsya.
2. He is variously hinted at, cf. युवराजराजः (72a & 130a) यौवराजकराजस्य मुनेः (94a), युवराजमौलि: (13a), युवराजः (ugb & IRNa) यवराजनीतिः (18b, 132b) and यवराजनयः (128a). One chapter in the Sākārasangrahasütra has been devoted to the exposition of the views of Asanga and Yuvarāja.
cf. इति धर्म कायस्वरूपचिन्ता पर्यन्तप्रवचन-मार्यासङ्गन्युवराजोक्तिनिर्णयो वितीयः। (128b). This Yuvaraja seems to be identical with Rajakulapāda mentioned by Ratnakirti. 1. साक्षात्ख्यात कुमारमत्तिमहिते मजश्रिया शास्तरि
प्राप्योद्धदमिदं प्रवं प्रति शिशक्रीडानकारेऽपि.यत। श्रेयस्तेन जनोऽयमस्तु परितो निर्यन्त्रमंत्रीमय ज्ञानश्रीवशितोपनीत परमानन्दक कन्दाकुर:।।
(122b) 2. आर्यासङ्गमनङ्गजिधयवहो यद्भपतीशोऽन्वशा
वाचायों वसुबन्धुरुदुरमतिस्तस्याज्ञयाविद्युतत् । दिग्नागोऽय कुमारनाथविहितासामान्यसाहायकस्तस्मिन् वार्तिकभाष्यकार कृतिनोरखामवचा स्थितिः ॥
. (ugb)
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JNANASRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS
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As a logician Jñānaśri had to face eminent Nyāya scholars like Sankara, the author of the Sthirasiddhi; Bhasarvajña, the author of the Nyayabhuṣaṇa, Trilocana, the author of the Nyayamanjari1 and Vacaspatimiśra I who is called sarvatantras vatantra, an independent thinker in all the systems of Brahmanical philosophy. Jñānaśri regards these as the four pillars of the edifice of the Varṇāśrama culture and spares no pains to refute them. Vittoka and Satānanda are two more important figures whose views have been criticised in connection with the refutation of the theory of God. We may point out in this connection that these quotations and references are of immense value to a student of logic, since most of the works are lost.
Among the Mimāṁsakas, Kumārila, Kāśikākāra (Sucaritamiśra) and Mahodadhi (author of the Mimams āmahodadhi) have been mentioned and the Bṛhaṭṭikā (of Kumārila), the Vidhiviveka (of Mandanamiśra) and the Nyayakanikā (of Vacaspati) have been quoted.
We miss here any reference to the Jaina philosophers for want of his contemplated Anekāntacinta in refutation of the Jaina theory of non-absolutism. Nothing shows that he actually wrote it.
. The influence of Jñānaśri has been left in all the three branches of Indian Logic-Brahmanical, Buddhist and Jaina. In the Brahmanical side we find Udayana's Bauddhaddhikkāra otherwise called the Atmatattvaviveka devoted mainly to the refutation of the views of Jñanaśrī as found in the Kṣanabhang ādhyāya and the Säkärasiddhiśästra. His Nyayavārtikatātparyapariśuddhi also criticises Jñānaśrī. The Kiranavali gives a summary of his views on momentariness. Gangesa quotes a verse from the Kṣaṇabhangadhyaya in the Fattvacintamani, Sankaramiśra was conversant with the works of our author. He mentions Jñānaśrīmitra as an authority on Buddhist philosophy along with Dignaga, Dharma
1. Nyayamanjari of Guru Trilocana JBRS. Vol. XII
2, cf • • • व्यवस्थित प्रतिसन्धातृवावस्तु प्रस्तोष्यते ऽनेकान्तचिन्तायाम ।
(क्षणभङ्गाध्याये 4b. 6)
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________________ JNANASRIMITRA AND HIS WORKS (J. B. R. s. kirti and Prajnakara. Sankara's Atmatattvavivekakalpalata extensively quotes passages from the Kasabhargadhyaya and the Sakarasiddhi. The Ksanabhangadhyaya has been utilised by Madhavacarya in the Sarvadarsanasanagraha. Among the Buddhists, Ratnakirti has summarised the Ksanabhangadhyaya, Vyapticarca, Apohaprakarana and Isvaravada respectively in his Ksnabhangasiddhis (I and II), Vyaptinirnaya, Apohasiddhi and Isvara sadhanadusana. Again Ratnakirti's Sarvajnasiddhi seems to be based on the Yoginirnaya and the Sarvajnasiddhi of Jnanasri. His Citradvaitaprakasavada presupposes the Sakarasiddhi of Jnanasrimitra. Moksakara of Jagaddalavihara also quotes Jnanasrimitra as an authority in his Tarkabhasa. * The Jaina logician Vadi Deva quotes our author several times and as we have seen before refers to the Apohaprakarana by name in his Syadvadaratnakara. Devabhadra quotes him. It may be noted in this connection that our author is to be distinguished from Jnanasribhadra of Kasmira, who wrote the Pramanaviniscayatika now preserved in Tibetan translation. Whether our author wrote any commentary on any of the works of Dharmakirti is not known. But his elaborate exposition on the seven verses of the Promanavartika dealing with the refutation of God and his upholding the views of Dharmakirti and Prajnakara justify his claim that he has made the position of both free from undeserved attacks arfaqs775475 fanta Tu feefari. Io Vadivinoda, p. 554