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XXXVI
INTRODUCTION
one of them except the fourteenth comprises twenty verses (gāthas) and is hence known as tīsiyā (Sk. viméik). Further, each except the 15th, is named in Sańskrta according to the subject it deals with, with the word vimsikā' added to it as can be seen from Prof. K. V. Abhyankar's edition. The twenty names without the word "vimsikā' are:
(1) Adhikara, (2) Anādi, (3) Kula-niti, (4) Carama. parivarta, ( 5 ) Bijādi, (6) Saddharma, (7) Dāna, (8) Pūjä-vidhi, (9) Srävaka-dharma, (10) Śrāvaka-pratimā, (11) Yati-dharma, (12) Sikşā, (13) Bhikṣā, (14) Tadantarāyasuddhi-linga, (15) Aloyaņā (Sk. Alocanā), (16) Prāyaścitta, (17) Yoga-vidhana, (18) Kevala-jñāna, (19) Siddha-vibhakti and (20) Siddha-sukha.
In Visiyā I, verses 11-15 enumerate the names of the twenty visiyüs, and they give us an idea of the contents of this work.
Visiya II proves that the world is made up of five astikūyas, is beginningless and is not created by any super-human agency.
Some social practices and observances based upon the family traditions and customs of the country form the main theme of Visiyā III. Some of these are no longer seen. Even then the section deserves to be studied by a student of ancient culture and sociology.
The last existence preceding final emancipation is called carama-parivarta' known also as 'apunarbandhaka' and 'nivrttādhikārapravrtti'. Herein every activity of the human being is directed towards the attainment of salvation. This is the theme of Visiya IV. In v. 143-15 five views regarding the causality of the universe are noted and evaluted.*
Vīsiyā V compares the religious life with a tree. Attainment of right faith is the main subject of Visiyă VI.
Visiyā VII deals with three kinds of endowments viz., right knowledge, safety and religious utility.
1 Herein, only six verses are printed in the case of Visiya XIV. This
edition published in 1932 A, D, contains Sk, intro., Sk, rendering
(chayā), notes in English and an appendix in Sk. 2 For comparison see p. XXXV. 3 This is reproduced from Sammaä payaraña (III). 4 This topic is dealt with in other works of Haribhadra. See fr. 3 of
p. XXXII.