Pravachanasara

SR No.: 003289
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram
Publication Year: 1964
Total Pages: 612
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 16 MB

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Pravacanasāra
JAYASENA AS A COMMENTATOR, COMPARED WITH AMRTACANDRA.- Jayasena as a commentator has his own method by which he has influenced later commentators like Brahmadeva. At the beginning of a section or a sub-section, he always gives the analysis of that section by grouping gāthās according to topics. Every gāthā is introduced by a remark which generally agrees with the one of Amrtacandra. Then he explains the gāthā word by word. Further with such phrases like tathā hi he winds up the discussion of a particular gāthā incorporating the suggestions of Amrtacandra and sometimes adding fresh discussions with such words: atrāha Sisyah, parihāram āha etc. His style is simple, and with a purpose he writes in simple Sanskrit ignoring, as he himself says, the grammatical strictness for which he solicits the indulgence of sensible readers. 1 His commentaries are studded with quotations here and there; it is rarely that their sources are mentioned; and very often they are off-hand quotations indicating the wide learning of Jayasena. The number of quotations is abnormally great in Pañcāstikāya,2 and (p. 103:] in proportion to the length of the text the number is comparatively smaller in Samayasāra. He often draws the attention of readers to Prakrit peculiarities, 3 but no sūtras of any Prakrit grammar are quoted by him. The text preserved in his commentary is valuable in various ways; and his fidelity to the longer recension is really creditable, though the shorter recension of Amộtacandra was already before him. Excepting in the matter of text-preservation, influence of Amstacandra's commentary is very great on him. He knows fully well and remarks that Amptacandra has not included certain gāthās. At times he quotes those very verses quoted by Amộtacandra, and even verses from Samayasāra-tīkā are included by him in his commentary; and he follows Amrtacandra very closely,5 The scholarship of Amộtacandra is terrific, and it might even bewilder students; but Jayasena is easy and sympathetic, and with students who want to understand Kundakunda he will certainly be a favourite. He always follows the philosophical lead of
1 Samayasāra p. 568. 2 In his commentary on Pancāstikāya Jayasena mentions the names of the following works
Dravyasamgraha (pp. 6-7), Caritrasāra (p. 219), Sarvärthasiddhi-tippanaka (p.219), Tattvānušāsana (pp. 212, 253), Upāsakādhyayana, Ācāra (-sara?), Arādhanā (p. 254), Trişastikalākāpuruşapurāna (p. 254). He quotes many verses anonymously, and so far as I have been able to trace their sources some of these quotations are found in works like Samavasarana-stotra (quotations on pp. 4, 8), Dasabhaktis (on pp. 6, 126), Acarasāra (on p. 8), Istopadesa (on p. 44), Yogasära (on p. 61), Alapapaddhati (on p. 105) Gommatasära (on pp. 126, 182), Amarakosa (on p. 135) Mökkhapāhuda (on p. 211), Bhāva-pāhuda (on pp. 212, 254). The only author mentioned by name is Pujyapāda. In his commentary on Samayasăra he mentions Samantabhadra (p. 459) and Yogindradeva (p. 424), and anonymously he quotes from works like Gommațasāra, Samadhisataka, Paramātmaprakāśa. He mentions a work Siddhānta (pp. 250, 424, also in Pancastikāya p.254 along with Prabhta and Tattvārtha) by which perhaps he means the commentaries Dhavala
and Jayadhavala. I must say that this note of mine is not exhaustive. 3 See Pravacanasāra p. 240; Samayasāra pp. 11, 52, 178, 236, 243, 249 and 303. 4 See Pravacanasära p. 270; sometimes he mentions the name of Amrtacandra, sometimes
simply refers to his Tikā, sometimes calling it as Vārtika-vyākhyāna, see Pañcāstikāya
pp. 9, 166; Pravacanasāra pp. 16, 148. 5 Compare Samayasära pp. 204-5, 394, 545.