Nandisutt and Anuogaddaraim

SR No.: 001062
Original Sutra Author: Devvachak, Aryarakshit
Author: Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Amrutlal Bhojak
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 764
Language: Prakrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Agam, Canon, Ethics, agam_nandisutra, & agam_anuyogdwar
File Size: 14 MB

Page 189

... [44]... So, we should consider this problem of Devavācaka's date from another angle.
We should fix 550 V. S. as the lower limit of Devavācaka's date. That is, he flourished not later than 550 V. S. This has been supported by Ac. Jinabhadra's Viseşāvaśyakabhäsya. Therein occur references to the Nandisütra.44 The period of Jinabhadra is about 546-650 V.S. It is certain that the Nandisutra is prior to the Visesavaśyakabhäsya. Again, we know that Ac. Devardhi completed his redaction of the Kalpasūtra in 980 or 993 V.N. (i.e. 510 or 523 V.S.). The Nandisūtra should be placed before these dates, the reason being that the Nandisūtra has been referred to in other Angas.45 Thus this much is certain that the Nandi was already existent even before 523 V.S. Here we should consider the question as to which the Avaśyakaniryukti or the Nandi-should be chronologically placed first. In the Āvaśyakaniryukti găthā 1020, the Nandi-Anuyogadvāra are jointly referred to; moreover gāthā 1346 specifically remarks: 'suttam nandibhaiyam'. Again, the Āvaśyakaniryukti is traditionally regarded as a work of the Senior Bhadrabāhu but internal evidences do not support this view. So, it might possibly be a work or compilation of the Junior Bhadrabāhu46_who was contemporary of Varăhamihira, the author of the Pancasiddhāntikā written in 562 V.S. From this we conclude that the Avaśyakaniryukti was composed in about 562 V.S. And the Nandisūtra, being fixed as prior to the Avaśyakaniryukti on the basis of the points already noted, should be placed at least before this date.47 Thus there is no difficulty in placing the Nandisútra before 523 V.S., if we take into account the age of the Valabhi Redaction of the Angas, etc.
A list of the mithyāśruta works given in the Nandisutra throws light on this problem and in addition informs us as to the non-Jaina works popular in those days. The work named Bhagava (Bhagavata) mentioned in the list belongs to the 5th Cent. of Vikrama Era. It might be that the name of this work was included in the list afterwards when it secured an exalted position. Again, this name is not found in all the mss. of the Nandisūtra; it is found mentioned in just two mss. used by us. This definitely proves that it is a later addition. Again, one more point of difficulty deserves to be removed. On one side, in the Avasyakaniryukti references to the Nandi-Anuyogadvāra are found while on the other side many gathās from the
44. Višeşāvaśyaka, gā. 78, 844, 2926, Auto-commentary, gā. 95, 97, Vyavahara
bhāşya, Uddeśa 7 ga. 301, Udd. 6 ga. 206 45.“ GET HET " Bhagavatisūtra, sū. 318,322, 732; Samavāyāngasūtra, sū. 88 46. Introduction to the BȚhatkalpabhāşya, Pt. VI, p. 5ff 47. We should make it clear that the Avaśyakaniryukti gāthas which occur in
the Nandi should be regarded as belonging to very old tradition.