Mahavidya Vidambanam

SR No.: 020464
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vadindra Bhatt, Anandpurna, Bhuvansundarsuri, Mangesh R Telang
Publisher: Central Library
Publication Year: 1920
Total Pages: 247
Language: Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 16 MB

Page 8

Vádindra, author of the Mahavidya-vidambaņa, himself says that the Mahavidya syllogisms have not been mentioned by the Sûtrakára! (Kaņáda) and Bhashyakára (Prasastapáda).
Nor do we find any allusion made to these syllogisms in the published works of Udayanacharya (A.D. 984) such as Nyáyakusumánjalî, Âtmatattva. viveka and Kiraņávali.
An indirect reference to Mahavidya syllogisms seenis to have been nade by Shribarsha in his great controversial work Khandana-Khanda-Khádya. In this work while refuting the arguments of Udayanáchárya in support of difference', Shriharsha has the following passage: -
__ गन्धे गन्धान्तरप्रसञ्जिका न च युक्तिरस्ति । तदस्तित्वे वा का नो हानिः । तस्याः अस्माभिः खण्डनीयत्वात् ।
There is no argument to establish the existence of a further smell in smell. And if there be any such argument, what do we lose? Because we have got to refute the same."
The commentator Anandapûrņa in the commentary upon the sentence तदस्तित्वे &c. in the above passage states that there is an argument to establish the existence of a further smell and sets forth the following syllogism which is evidently framed after the Mahavidya method of inference:
"अयं गन्धो गन्धवदत्तित्वरहितगन्धवन्मात्रवृत्त्यधिकरणं प्रमेयत्वात् घटवत् ।"
From the above statements it may be inferred that the Mahavidya syllogisms were known to Sriharsha (A. D. 1187) and Anandapurna (A. D. 1529-1600).
The earliest direct reference made to Mahavidya is in the Tattva-pradîpika, familiary known as Chitsukhi of Chitsukhacharya who lived about A.D. 1200 In one place Chitsukhâchârya quotes a syllogism under the name of Mahávidya' and in another place reproduces the 4th syllogism from the Mahavidya Daśasloki Satra of Kulárka Pandita without mentioning the name of the book or author." But the commentator Pratyagrûpa-bhagawan in explaining this last syllogism says that the author Chitsukháchárya here sets forth KulárkaPandita's syllogism for the purpose of refutation. I have not been able to trace any direct reference to Mahavidya or Kulárka Pandita earlier than this.
After Chitsukhâchârya, the next author who refers to Mahavidya syllo1 सूत्रकारभाष्यकाराभ्यां तदव्युत्पादनात्। महाविद्याविडम्बन पू. ९८ 2 खण्डनखण्डखाद्य पृ. ११८१ (चौखम्बा) 3 खण्डनखण्डखाद्य पृ. ११८२ (चौखम्बा)
4 अथवा अयं घटः एतद्धटान्यत्वे सति वेद्यत्वानधिकरणान्यः पदार्थत्वात्पटवदित्यादिमहाविद्याप्रयोगैरप्यवेद्यत्वप्रसिद्धिरप्युहनीया।
तत्त्वप्रदीपिका पृ. १३ (निर्णयसागर) 5 अस्तु तर्हि गन्धवन्तो गन्धवदगन्धावृत्तिगन्धवद्वत्त्यन्यधर्मवन्तः x x x प्रमेयत्वात् ज्वलनादिवत् ।
तत्त्वप्रदीपिका पृ. ३०४ (नि. सा.) 6 एव प्रत्यक्षं जातौ प्रत्याख्याय कुलार्कपण्डितोत्रीतमनुमानमुद्भाव्यति दूषयितुं तहीति ।
महाविद्याविडम्बनम् । पृ. १३०