Amrita Collected Papers by A M Ghatage

SR No.: 006968
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Kasturbhai Lalbhai Smarak Nidhi Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 530
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 10 MB

Page 184

The Daśavaikālika-Niryukti
175
discussion into philosophy or ethics. The word Dharma is treated in this manner in the first chapter. The Dravya Dharma is the modification of a substance and comprises on the one hand the Dharmāstikāya and the Pracāradharma or the objects of the sense on the other. But the Bhävadharma contain the Laukikadharmas or rules about the various restrictions of behaviour, the ordinary laws of the land as well as the special rules of the smaller communities, the Kuprāvacanika Dharma or the heretical doctrines and lastly the Lokuttara Dharma which again comprises the Sruta Dharma or the study of scriptures and Cāritra Dharma or the rules of conduct. The subtlety to which this method may lead us is well illustrated by the example of the word Vihamgama. The Dravya Vihamgama is an object which in its next birth will become a bird. The Bhāva Vihamgama is twofold Gunasiddha or Samjñāsiddha. The Gunasiddha is the world which remains in the sky which is called Viham. It is again of two kinds because the Gati may be due either to Bhāva or Karma. When it is due to Bhāva the Astikāyas become the Vihamgamas. The Karmagati is again of two kinds when it is found either in the sky called the Vihāyogati or anywhere else when it is called Calanagati. According to the first variety as also from the Samjñāsiddhi the birds are the Vihamgamas. According to the Karmagati both the souls and matter become the Vihamgamas (122-127). Other cases of such applications are to be found in Kāma 967-169), Pada (172 foll.), Pranidhi (359) and many others.
Th
The subject of etymology is of course of greater importance and interest. One thing that we should mark about the author's attitude towards this problem is that he is all the while trying to explain the Prākrit words without the help of Sanskrit. His etymologies are mainly based on Prākrit forms. However absurd the procedure may seem to us who are acquainted with the elements of comparative philology, the author has a natural disgust in explaining the words of his scriptures with reference to a language which he essentially abhorred as being the speech of the heterodox religions. But the inborn tendency of etymologising in him was very hard to die and therefore he states so many curious views and opinions. He explains the words. Ajjhayana as derived from Ajjhappassānayanam (29); Ajjhīna as Aksīna (31); Āya as Lābha (32); Jhavaņā as Ksapanā (33); Vihamgama as "viham gacchai" (123); Samana as Samamanai (159) or Samamano (160) or Sumano (161); Kāma from Ukkāma (170); Bhikkhu from "khuham bhindanto" (410); Jai as Jayamano (410); Bhāvanto as "bhavam khavento"; Bhikkhu as Bhikkhamāno or "anam khavej” (411), and many others of similar nature. In many cases we see that his interpretation is clearly wrong and much of it is based upon the mere similarity of sound