International Journal Of Jaina Studies Vol 01 To 03 2005 To 2007

SR No.: 022773
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Peter Flugel
Publisher: Hindi Granth Karyalay
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 202
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 195

Explanation of Queries. Abhayadeva, in the beginning of his commentary on the current version of the Praśnav vākarana, analyses the title of the text this way: Prasna in the title stands for prasnavidvās, or methods of explaining queries, involving mediums like one's thumb and so on, for divination purpose. The Praśnavyākarana is thus named, because all these are explained or told here. He further says that this used to be the content of the text in earlier times, but by the time he composed his commentary nothing except explanations on the five types of sins and five types of their consequences were found in the text. This indicates that Abhayadeva himself was aware of the fact that the text he is commenting upon is not the original but a new text. Albrecht Weber (1883: 327: 1885: 17) noticed long ago that the original text of the Praśnavyākarana, which the compilers of the above mentioned sūtras had before them, was lost at some point in history and another entirely different text was substituted in the place of the original angasūtra.
Now as a sheer surprise, an archaic version of the Praśnavyākarana in Prakrit, together with a Sanskrit commentary of one Jīvabhogin has been found preserved in a palm-leaf manuscript in the National Archives of Nepal. The accession number of the manuscript is 4-149 and can be found on NGMPP (Nepal German Manuscript Preservation Project) microfilm reel no. B 23/37. The palm-leaf manuscript was complete in 153 folios but now folios 142 and 143 are missing. There are some extra folios in the same handwriting at the end of the manuscript which contain charts and circular diagrams of aksaras, mentioned or implied in the text. I am tempted to take this portion as an extension of the appendix included in the main body of the manuscript. There is an innocent little corrupt catalogue entry for this manuscript in the vyākarana section of the Brhatsūcīpatra (A so-called descriptive catalogue of the manuscripts belonging to the Virapustakālaya) published from Kathmandu, where it is identified as a grammatical text.
Abhayadeva's commentary on the Praśnavyākarana, introduction: praśnā angusthādipraśnavidvās, la vväkriyante abhidhīvante 'sminn iti praśnavyākaranam. ayam ca vyutpat yarıho sva prvakale 'bhui, idānim 1 ásravapañcakasamvarapañcakavvākrtir evehopalabhyate. See also Abhayadeva's commentary on the Sthânänga passage cited above which states the same point: praśnavyākaranadaśā ihoklartipa na drsvante drývamänās iu pañcäśravapañcasamvarātmikä iti (Jambüvijaya 1985b: 341. II. 311.). + Śarmā 1965: 41.
SI was aware of the existence of this manuscript already in 1993 when I worked for the NGMPP for the first time as a student, and went through all NGMPP index cards. But due to the lack of good library facilities in Kathmandu, I was not able to compare the content of the manuscript with that of the printed text. So I was not aware of its importance until I went to Hamburg in 2001 and finally read Abhayadeva's commentary and secondary sources.
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