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Karin Preisendanz
Debate and Independent Reasoning vs. Tradition
"Gotama, however, inasmuch as he destructively tore apart (matters] here and there with his reasoning, was finally cursed by the wise and reborn as a jackal. And [later) again he was favoured (by them, with the words): Your teaching should be of assistance to the whole world (inasmuch as it proceeds) from revelation, the established tenets [of the
tradition) and reasoning. ** In this way, within the foundations of Gotama's teaching after his rehabilitation reasoning (tarka) has been relegated to the last place.
yo 'wamanyeta te müle hetusästrāśrayad dvijah /
sa sadhubhir bahihkáryo năstiko vedanindakah // (on this verse see also KEITH 1919, 12; VIDYABHUSANA 1920, 7 and 1930, XY (original introduction p. xiii); WINTERNITZ 1929, 4; HALBFASS 1988, 279; PERRY 1997, 450; quoted in Balakrida (BK) p. 89,20 on Yajnavalkyasmrti 3.223).
K: anvikșikim; K, B, D.. Dgi: anviksikim; D., D., T., G änviksaki
änviksakim; G:
*D.: pratita; De: pravadată
Appendix on MBh 12.173.45-47ab (-B 12.180.47-49ab):
cāti(K: vi)vaktä сa; D: ca dvijātinām;
K. V., B27.9. D .D., T, G. 2, M. s Do: cativaktānam: Gy: atikrostàtivaktă ca
aham asam panditako haituko vedanindakah' / drviksikim tarkavidyām anurakto nirarthikam // 45 // hetuvadān pravadita' valud samsatsu hetumat/ akrostä сabh/vakid ca brahmayainesu vai dviján // 46 // nastikah' sarvasanki ca mürkhah panditamdnikah /
For the present purpose the following variants are of relevance: Ś, K., D., G: hetuko
I translate brahmavākyeşu following B 12.180.48d and the reading found in Dal, D, D, M, C; D., T., G, 3,6 M.: -Midyeşu; Tz, Ms: -vadyeşu; G: -vidyesu; C: jñeyesu. Although brahmavākya is not attested in the dictionaries, the reading -vädya seems to support this choice and the interpretation of the situation as one comparable to the situation in which brahmodya-s are voiced, i.e., in which statements relating to brahman are pronounced for comment and discussion. brahmayajesu, i.e., "in the context of their) recitation and study of the fruti," does not fit the context well because these activities are not necessarily performed publicly and in interaction with others.
2 K read vddanindakah ("censuring in debate"); G,: devanindakah ("censuring the gods"). Although with censuring in debate" the connection between reasons and disputation would be addressed already at this point, this reading seems to presuppose a rather unusual type of dissolution of the compound; cf. also Manusmrti (MS) 2.11:
M : năstitah
G: parisanki
*Cf. Skandapurdna, Kalikakhanda 17. quoted and referred to in VIDYABHUSANA 1920, 8; 17:37, 48, and 1930, xvi (original introduction p. xiii):
gotamah svena tarkena khandayar tatra tatra hi / fapro 'tha munibhis tatra sárgálim yonim rcchati // punas cenugrhito 'sau frutisiddhantatarkarah/
sarvalokopakardya tava sastram bhavisyati // I have not yet succeeded to locate these verses in the editions of the Skandapurana accessible to me THAKUR (1975, 42 (n. 5]) reproduces the reference as Kalikakhanda 7 (cf., however, 41 (n. 4: Kaliki 17).
12.173.45cd is quoted in Madhva's Brahmasútrabhâsya (BSBh) p. 80,8 on 2.2.17 (I am indebted for this reference to my colleague Roque Mesquita; cf. Mes QUITA 2000, 56 (n. 24]). On the entire sequence cf. also DAHLMANN 1895, 219 and the references in VIDYABHUSANA 1920, 8; 36-37, and 1930, xv (original introduction p. xiii); WINTERNITZ 1929, 4; MISHRA 1957, 462 and 1966, 9; THAKUR 1974, 404 and 1975, 42 (conflated with the anecdote about Gautama's birth as a jackal in the Skandapurana, cf. above, p. 243f.): HALBFASS 1988. 278-279; PERRY 1997, 450.