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...[14]...
And the Dvadaśāngi, being fundamental in the field of the śrutajñana, is primarily known as pravacana. The Pravacana has two ingredients -word and meaning. The word-ingredient is recognised by the name sutra. Its originators are the ganadharas. The originator of the meaning on the basis of which the ganadharas composed the sutras is the Tirthankara himself14. At this juncture there arises the question as to whether the Tirthankara preached the meanings without the medium of words. It is impossible to convey the meaning without the help of words. If this is so, why should we not consider the Tirthankara also to be the originator or the author of the sutra ? The solution of the problem given by Jinabhadragani is as follows: The Tirthankara does not preach the twelve Angas extensively and in a proper order; he preaches simply the principles and that too succinctly. The Ganadharas expand these principles into twelve Angas in such a manner that any member of the Order can easily understand them. It is in this sense only that the Tirthankara is considered to be the author of the meaning and the ganadharas to be the author of words -sutras.15 The commentators have described the type of succinct preachings that the Tirthankara delivers. They aver that the Tirthankara preaches a fundamental formula containing three basic words only, viz. 'uppanne i va vigame i va dhuve i va'. The meaning of this formula is that the reality originates, decays and persists at the same time. The gaṇadharas expand this idea into twelve Angas.16
Ac. Bhadrabahu says that 'pravacana', 'sutra' and 'artha' are synonyms.17 Now one might ask as to how 'sutra' and 'artha' can be synonymous with 'pravacana' because pravacana constitutes the genus while sutra and artha constitute its species and also because sutra and artha are not mutually identical. Jinabhadra solves the difficulty by suggesting that even 'sūtra' and 'artha' could be considered to be synonymous with pravacana' if we view a genus and its species as mutually identical.18
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14. Viseşāvasyakabhāṣya, ga. 1119 (Niryuktigāthā)
15. Ibid., ga. 1119-1124
16. Commentary on the gathā 1122 of the Viseşävasyakabhäşya 17. एगट्टियाणि तिन्नि उ पवयण सुतं तहेव अत्थो य । āvaśyakaniryukti, gā. 126
18. Viseşāvasyakabhāṣya, gā. 1368-75
सिंचइ खरइ नमत्थं तम्हा सुत्तं निरुत्तविहिणा वा ।
सूपर सवर सुवर सिव्वइ सरए व जेणत्थं ॥ १३६८ ॥ afaafi gi fra afg-arfan a gei fa जो सुत्ताभिप्पाओ सो अत्थो अज्जए जम्हा ॥ १३६९ ॥ सह पवयणेण जुत्ता न सुयत्थेगत्थया परोप्परओ । जं सुत्तं वक्खेयं अत्थो तं तरस वक्खाणं ॥ १३७० ॥
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