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(10) In the Jain encyclopaedia, Abhidhāna Rājendra Koşa, the word vāsī is explained as follows :50 vāsīvāsi (stri) vasula iti khyāte lohakaropakaranaviseşe Ha 29 Aṣṭa|Acā|Jnä/
JAIN JOURNAL
The author of encyclopaedia clearly means by vāsī an adze, a particular tool of the blacksmith. Here, instead of calling it a tool of carpenter, he calls it a tool of blacksmith.
Further, Vijay Rajendra Suri elucidates the whole phrase vāsī candaṇa-kappo, as follows:51
vāsīcandaṇakappa-vāsīcandanakalpa-pum. upakāryanupakāriṇorapi madhyaste Ava 5 a vāsīvavāsī—apakārī tām candanamiva duşkṛtam takşaṇahetu tayopakārakatvena kalpayanti-manyante vāsi candanakalpah Hayadah :
yo mamapakarotyeşa tatvenopakarotyasau siramokṣādyupayena kurvāṇa iva nīrūjam||
atha vāsyāmapakāriṣyām candanasya kalpa ivaccheda iva ye upakāri tvena vartante te vāsīcandanakalpāḥ|āha ca:
apakārapare'pi pare kurvantyupakārameva himahāntah surabhikaroti vāsīm malayajamapi takṣamāṇamapi||
vāsyām va candanasyeva kalpa ācāro yesām te tatha, atha väsyām candanakalpascandanatulya ye te tatha bhāvanā tu pratitaiva/Ha 29 Aşta Jnal
Here the author of the encyclopaedia has quoted the Haribhadriya Aşṭaka.52 The commentator presents several interpretations with different literal meanings. In this quotation, the word vasi is throughout interpreted as an adze, but the word kalpa is interpreted variously.
Firstly, it is interpreted as a verb-kalpanti meaning manyante 1.e. consider. The whole phrase is interpreted thus: As the sandalwood considers the adze a benefactor because of its own cutting by it (and thus
50 Abhidhana-Rajendra (Jain Encyclopaedia) Prakrit-Magadhi to Sanskrit, by Vijay Rajendra Suri, Ratlam, 1934, Vol. VI, p. 1108.
51 Ibid., pp. 1108, 1109.
52 Astaka-Prakarana by Haribhadra with Tika (commentary) in Sanskrit by Jinesvara Suri, pub by Mansukha Bhagubhai, Ahmedabad, V. S. 1908. The commentary is believed to be corrected by Abhayadeva Suri. Hence, the interpretation is identical to that of Abhyadeva Suri quoted before. Cf. Jinaratnakosa by H. D. Velankar, p.18.
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