Comprehensive History Of Jainism

SR No.: 022803
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 28 MB

Page 315

JAINA THINKERS
289
in placing him in the eighth century AD.
Apart from his Tattvārtharājavārtika, 74 which is a commentary on the famous book of Umāsvāti, Akalanka is the reputed author of the Astașată, 25 a valuable work of Jaina philosophy in 800 verses dealing principally with logic, and is a commentary on the Aptamimāṁsā of Samantabhadra. Another well-known work on logic by him is the Nyāyaviniscaya.76 His other works are Laghiyastrayıprakarana and Svarūpasambodhana." A treatise on expiatory rites called Prāyaścittagrantha78 is also ascribed to him, but Akalanka's authorship of this work is extremely doubtful.79 It has 90 ślokas and is called Srāvakācāra.80 The Pramanasangrahal contains 87 kārikās and is also a work of logic. Another work called Siddhiviniscaya is also ascribed to Akalanka 82
Haribhadra, the great Svetāmbara savant, was undoubtedly one of the greatest thinkers of the eighth century. He was not only a successful literary artist, but also, as Udyotana asserts, an authority on logic. Udyotana claims that he was taught logic by Haribhadra, and this information practically settles the date of Haribhadra. The Kuvalayamālā, from which this information has been obtained, was completed in Saka 700. The earliest writer who quotes from Haribhadra is the Buddhist Santaraksita, who in his Tattvasangraha (eighth century) ascribes the verse to an Acārya Sūri, who is no other than Haribhadra.83
Haribhadra, as we have already said in a previous chapter, wrote in both Sanskrit and Prāksta. Being himself a Brāhmaṇa by birth, he was very well-acquainted with the Brahmanical works of philosophy. His well-known commentary on Dinnāga's Nyāyapraveśa4 shows that he was equally at home with Buddhist logic. Indeed, because of Haribhadra's commentary this great work of the celebrated Dinnāga has survived in Sanskrit. His other works are only available in translation. Another well-known work of Haribhadra is the Anekāntajayapatākā.85 It has altogether four chapters in which he refutes the doctrines of the Buddhist and Brahmanical schools. Since he refers to Mallavādin in this work, it appears that it is one of his latest works. 86 The Saddarśanasamuccaya, 87 a summary of the six philosophical systems in 87 verses, is the first work dealing with the six philosophical systems, Bauddha, Nyāya, Sāmkhya, Jaina, Vaiseșika, and Jaimini, with a brief section on Cārvāka's philosophy. Haribhadra emphatically says that Nyāya and Vaišeșika cannot be separated from one another, although he treats them separately. There is no dis