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THE TEXUAL READING OF THE OPENING SENTENCE : THE UPODGHATA OF THE ĀCĂRANGA
While explaining the meaning of “śrutaṁ mayā äyuşman", in his vrtti (p.11), Silānkārcāya states : “ mayeti sākṣān na punaḥ paramparyeņa", i.e. by the usage mayā the author means that he had himself listened directly, and not by tradition (later on). Further, he adds : “ yadi vă amrsată bhagavat-padāravindam..., avasarā vā tad-antika ity anena gurukulavāsah kartavya ity a veditaṁ bhavati, etac cārthadvayam āmusamteņa āvasaṁtena; ity etat päthäntaram āśrityāvagantavyam iti". Since this has been explained thus, it seems but proper to think that Sudharmāswami listened to the teachings of Lord Mahāvīra while he was staying with and serving the latter. From this viewpoint only the reading ‘āusamteņa" seems to be proper. This same reading, viz., “suyaṁ me āusaṁtena bhagavată evam akkhāyas" is found in the Second śruta-skandha (Sūtra 638) of the Ācārānga (MJV), and the same reading is found in the Cürņi, too; moreover there is the reading ‘bhagavatā' in the place of bhagavayā (Ācārānga, MJV. Edn. p. 227 f.n. 2).
Other References :
In some other context, the usaga of the word 'āusaṁto' is found several times in the Eighth Adhyayana of the First Śruta-skandha of the Ācārānga itself, when a bhikṣu addresses a Gāthāpatī or the latter addresses the former, as for instance; ausaṁto gāhāvati (8.2.204; 8.5.218); ausaṁto samanā (8.2.204; 8.3.211). Looking to these usages, as also that of ‘āuso' as a Vocative in the Sūtrakstānga, e.g., vaccagharagam ca āuso khanāhi (1.4.2.13) when the former usage is found to occur several times in the Acāranga and the Sūtrakrtânga, it has to be considered as to how proper is the usage of the word 'ausaṁ'.
(1) The usages in the Ācārānga, First Śrutaskandha : äusamto gāhāvati (1.8.2.204); ausamto samana (1.8.3.211); āuso (1.8.2.204); Similar usages occur many times in the Second Śrutaskandha (2.1.9, 396, 399 etc.; cf. Index to the edition).
(2) The usages in the Sūtrakstānga : auso (1.3.3.198); ahāuso (2.6.837); ayam äuso (2.1.649);
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