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OCTOBER, 1978
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That Jainism as a system of philosophy still stood on a high pedestal with a large mass following has been indirectly confirmed by the author and his commentator themselves.
At the outset of his Dohākoșa, the author Saroja Vajra proposed that he was going to refute the six systems of philosophy (Saddarśana) because those who follow them, do not know their meaning.
saddarśanesu jattattvam na jānanti tadāśritaho
The word Saddarśana generally signifies the traditional six systems of Hindu philosophy like Samkhya, Patanjala, Purya-mimansa, Uttaramimansa, Nyaya and Vaisesika. But here the commentator Advaya Vajra has cautioned the reader that by six systems the author meant the religious sects of Brahma, Isvara, Arhanta, Bauddha, Lokayata and Samkhya.10 Arhanta here undoubtedly stands for the sects of the Ksapanakas or the Jainas.
There is no denying the fact that these six religious systems including that of the Jainas, had immense popularity during the Pala period and it is for this reason the author attempted to refute them. So it may be surmised that Jainism or the religion of the Kşapaņakas did not lose any vitality during the Pala period, though it failed to enlist royal support for its cause. On the contrary during the Pala period Jainism was counted upon as one of the six popular religious sects of Bengal even by their opponents.
· H. P. Sastri, Bauddha Gan O Doha, p. 7. 10 Ibid., p. 81. 11 Ibid.
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