Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

SR No.: 007699
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan
Publication Year: 2014
Total Pages: 257
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 1 MB

Page 241

231
and Māhārāstrī. A good treasure of oral traditional stories was available for the Jaina authors in Prakrits. Vaddakahā (Bșhatkathā) was a great collection of tales in Paiśācī by Guņādhya. The Jaina counterpart of Vaddakahā is Vasudevahindi - probably the oldest huge story-collection in India. This is the canvas of Prakrits on which the narratives of Cāņakya were portrayed with a perfect blend of traditional oral narrations mixed with the power of imagination. It is the unique contribution of the Jaina ācāryas who imbibed the story-material in their commentarial literature.
It is a different but an important subject to locate the hybrid Sanskrit and deśī words in the Arthaśāstra, which are found in the cūrņi and are connected with the things, ideas and articles of the common people. [4] The first Jaina occurances of Cāņakya :
The oldest Śvetāmbara reference occurs in Anuyogadvāra (1st-2nd century A.D.) and the oldest Digambara reference occurs in Bhagavatī Ārādhanā (2nd_ 3rd century A.D.). The points of references differ in both the texts. The Anuyogadvāra stamps Kautilyaka-śāstra as a mithyā-śruta (heretic text). The Digambaras pay homage to Cāņakya because of his sublime religious death. These two references give two important clues, viz. the non-Jaina character of the treatise and the utter reverence towards Cāņakya for his exalted way to welcome death. [5] Nandi's unique approach to Arthaśāstra :
Nandīkāra Devavācakagani went one step ahead. He opened the doors to study Kautilya-śāstra for the Jainas by declaring that, “The mithyā-śrutas become samyak-śrutas when studied with the right attitude.” The effects of this new attitude are seen in the later