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lviii
ŚRĀVAKABHŪMI
Tripitaka and the Mahākarmavibhanga-.
A thorough study of the $Bh. reveals that Asanga was influenced by the Ayurvedic Samhitās also. Though in the account of the 'bhojane mātrajñatā' and other portions of the bhūmi, he seems to refer to the Buddhist Tripitaka and the Mahāyāna Sūtras, he equally seems to have been influenced by the Ayurvedic concepts of food and diseases. Besides this account of the 'bhojane mātrajñatā' he gives an analysis of different kinds of food and their effect on human life. He similarly enumerates nine causes for immature death and refers to a Buddhist Sūtra. It is worth-noting that the list of diseases provided by Asanga coincides with the list given in the early Ayurvedic treatises, such as the Caraka and the Suśruta Samhitās and the Kaumārabhịtya portion of the Kāśyapa Samhitā.
Besides these, Asanga was very much influenced by the works of his preceptor, Maitreyanāthapāda and wrote commentaries on his works. While commenting on the MSA (XVIII.43-44), he refers to the Madhyāntavibhāga, another work of Ācārya Maitreyanāthapāda
It may also be pointed out that as generally supposed Asanga, had nothing to do with the Tantric
1. ŚBh., p. 383.
Asm. pp. 60-1 : agi Tat-7991 Hrar: #F#T: HETITET: - योनीयाः कर्मप्रतिसरणाः कर्म सर्वान् सत्त्वान् विभजति उच्चनीचतया हीनप्रणीततया sfat 1; Vide, Mahākarmavibhanga in MSS, 1.108sq., M.N., I11.280.
