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( xix)
Of these we have utilised the Tibetan translation of our Sanskrit text, numbered (2) above, of the first chapter of the Vinaya-Sutra-Sva-Vyakhyāna. It incorporates the original Sūtras of Vinaya-Sutra and gives comment on the same. Several readings in our text are determined from the same and they are marked by squre brackets. Sūtra 124 suggests that there were earlier versions of the Sutras.
Guṇaprabha
Gunaprabha of Brahmanic descent was considered to be a pupil of the great Buddhist Scholar Vasubandhu. He was an eminent scholar of the Vinaya of the Arya-MulaSarvästivädins. He was a student of orthodox and heterodox philosophical systems. Dharmamitra who has written a commentary on Vinaya-sutra named 3 above was considered by some scholars to be his pupil. Takakusu records that his pupil Mitrasena who was 90 years old taught shastras Yuan Chuang.
to
According to Taranath. as an acarya by king Śri guidance, he had studied the of the Mahāyānists. He was Agrapuri in Mathura. 5000 monastery and 500 of them were regularly reading Vinaya.
Gunaprabha was accepted Harṣa. Under Vasubandhu's Tripitaka of the Śravakas and living in a monastery called monks were staying in that
The offerings he received were utilised by them for several good purposes. He never failed in ascetic practices." As some peculiarities of Gunaprabha's knowledge of the science of grammar, we have the following examples :
4.
Bu-ston's History of Buddhism, part ii. pp. 160-61, translated by Dr. E. Obermiller, 1931-32. Also, The Classical Age (Bharatiya Vidyabhavan, 1954, p. 379.
5.
Takakusu: A Record of Buddhist Religion practised in India and Malay Archipelago, p. LVIII.
6. History of Buddhism in India (1970) pp. 176, 179, Simla.
7.
Also see Takakusu's I-tsing, LVIII-LIX and 181; Watters: on Yuan Chwang's Travels in India., Vol. i. 323 ff.
