Jaina Epistemology

SR No.: 006738
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 516
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

Page 40

History and Sources:
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The Cūrni literature developed in the seventh or eighth century A. D. The Cūrnis are an abridged form of the Bhāsyas. Their speciality consists in the introduction of stories like Jātakas of the Buddhist literature. Jinadāsa Mahattara is very popular amongst their authors. He wrote a cūrņi on the Nandi sūtra, which is entirely devoted to the problem of knowledge.
Haribhadra was the first Sanskirt commentator of the Āgamas. He lived in the eighth century A. D. His commentaries are more or less a translation of the cūrnis. After Haribhadra we have Silānkācārya, who died in the 9th cent. A. D. He was followed by Sāntyācārya, who wrote Bșhattıkā on the Uttarādhyayana sūtra. After him we have Abhayadeva who commented the nine Angas. He lived in beginning of the Ilth century. Maladhārl-Hemacandra lived in the twelfth century. He has commented on Anuyogadvāra and annotated the Nandi and Āvaśyaka. His commentary on VBh. is well known. At the end we come to Malayagiri, but his commentaries supersede all the previous authors, in their excellence and scholarly treatment. He has dealt with every topic scholarly and masterly. His style is clear and fluent. His commentary on the NandIsūtra is a valuable contribution to the subject. He also lived in the twelfth century A. D.
Amongst Digambaras we have already referred to the six commentaries of Şatkhandāgama; but, leaving Dhavalā, none of them is traceable. Dhavalā occupies the same place in Digambara literature as VBh in the Svetāmbaras. It forms an independent school in the conception of knowledge. Virasenācārya finished this work on the 8th October, 816 A. D.1 the Wednesday morning. Kaşāya Prabhịta contains the cūrņi by Yati Vrsabha. We also have the commentary Jayadhavala on it by the author of Dhavalā. It is also a valuable contribution. Mahābandha is mainly related with Karma theory. Though it is an expansion of the sixth chapter of Satkhanda
1. Dhavalā Int. p. 1.