Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
- 40 -
Even when accepting the number of scriptures, he did not interpret their meanings in accordance with the Digambar tradition. However, a question arises here as to why Yashovijay took the Digambar scripture recitation despite being a Shvetambar? Was he not familiar with the Shvetambar scripture recitation, or did he consider the Digambar scripture recitation to hold more significance than the Shvetambar scripture recitation even after being familiar with it? The most appropriate answer seems to be that he was indeed familiar with the Shvetambar scripture recitation and would have held that text in significance as well; otherwise, he would not have written a commentary according to the Shvetambar tradition. Nevertheless, the reason for adopting the Digambar scripture recitation should be that based on the scripture recitation from which all Digambar scholars have interpreted meanings contrary to the Shvetambar Agamas for a thousand years, it is entirely possible and consistent to derive meanings in exact accordance with the Shvetambar tradition from that very scripture recitation. This would impress upon the Digambar side while simultaneously showing the Shvetambar practitioners that whether one takes the Digambar or Shvetambar scripture recitation, despite the textual variances, the meanings derived remain essentially the same and aligned with the Shvetambar tradition—there is no need to be startled by the Digambar scripture recitation or to dismiss it as belonging to an opposing side. Whether one learns the bhāṣyamān scripture recitation or memorizes the sarvārthasiddhi scripture recitation, the essence is the same in both. In this way, it appears that Yashovijay wrote this commentary on the Digambar scripture recitation both to demonstrate to the Digambar scholars what clear and truthful meanings can be derived from their scripture recitation, and to explain to the Shvetambar practitioners not to be startled by the Digambar scripture recitation due to the textual differences.
(j) The venerable Pūjyapāda’s original name was Devanandi. He lived in the 5th-6th century Vikram era. He authored texts on various subjects including grammar. The Digambar tradition acknowledges sixteen heavens; hence he has taken the Shvetambar scripture that mentions twelve heavens here.
1. See - Sarvārthasiddhi, 2. 53; 9. 11 and 10. 9.