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

Page 75

Pravacanasāra
CRITICAL REMARKS ON PANCĀSTIKĀYA.—The text of Pañcāstikaya, as it is available today, is preserved in two recensions; one preserved in the Sk. commentary of Amstacandra and the other commented upon by Jayasena; the former contains 173 gāthās and the latter 181, the majority of additional gāthās being found in the context of upayoga-discussion. The division of the work into two Sruta-skandhas, with a pithikā in the beginning and a culikā at the end, as proposed by Amrtacandra, is quite proper; and helps the understanding of the text. The concluding verses of the first Śruta-skandha (103-4) and the opening formula of the next might tempt one to say that these are two independent works put together by some other hand than that of Kundakunda; no doubt that the two Śruta-skandhas are meant to be independent sections, each throwing light on the other; but Kundakunda himself has brought them together in one work as indicated by the pronoun tesim, in the opening gāthā of 2nd Śruta., which refers to Astikāyas etc. discussed in the first; so the arrangement is by Kundakunda himself.
The word samgraha in the title indicates that it is mainly a compilation by and not a composition of Kundakunda; and there are indications in the body of the text that the author might have put together traditional verses when trying to discuss a topic in a connected manner: the characteristics of the soul are not discussed in the order in which they are enumerated in gāthā 27 etc. as it is clear from the analysis, possibly due to the fact that the author might have collected together the traditional verses; in many places the topical discussion is disturbed by the same idea repeated; some gāthās (64 etc.) are called Siddhānta-sūtrāņi by Amptacandra; sometimes groups of gāthảs, which are a compact body in themselves but have little connection with the context, are met with here and there (71-2); and the so called Mokşa-cūlikā is as good as an independent section. So Kundakunda might have compiled this work out of the great range of traditional verses that he might have inherited from his teachers.
[p. 45:) SAMAYASĀRA.1 The author opens his discourse with the definition of sva-samaya and para-samaya, which respectively stand for the realisation of the self as identical with Right faith etc. and with material karmas (2). When ekatva, i.e., the oneness of the self, is realized there is no bondage at all (3); and the aim of the author is to point out this ekatva, the same as bhedavijñāna, to the best of his ability (sva-vibhavena) (5). The ultimate aim of every aspirant is to realise the pure soul as a knower from the Niscaya-naya. Just as we cannot make a barbarian (mleñcha) understand us unless talked to in his speech, so Vyavahāra point of view is quite necessary for the understanding of pure Niscaya view-point (7 etc.); Vyavahāranaya helps the weak speech of ours, which is incapable of fully expressing the reality
Published with the Sk. commentaries of Amstacandra and Jayasena in Sanātana Jaina Granthamālā, Benares, 1914; published with these two Sk. commentaries and a Hindi commentary of Jayacandra in RJS, Bombay 1919; the text edited with Sk. shade, English translation and commentary by J. L. Jaini in SBJ, vol. 8, Lucknow, 1930; besides, Jayacandra's Hindi commentary, which closely follows Amstacandra, has been published from Kollhapur, Bombay etc:Br. Shitalprasada, following Jayasena's commentary, has written a Hindi commentary on this, and it is published from Surat.