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The Jainas and the Western Scholar
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and Renou who follow his support of the Svciambra view of the begindings of ascetic nudity in the Jaina order
This provoked the Digambaras, who in due course were obliged to respond to the results of Jacobi's work in order to defend their own tradition They discovered that, although caūjama-dhamma was indeed a doctrine of Parsya, Jacobi, depending exclusively on the later (8th century) Svetambara commentaries, interpreted the doctrine 10correctly Professor Profulla Kumar Modi, for instance, bas pointed out (in his Hindi Introduction to the Pasanahacarlu, Prakrit Text Series, (1965) that the caujfama-samvara did not really consist of four vowa (vratas) as alleged by the Svelambara commentators and endorsed by Jacobi, but rather a single great restraint (samyama) called samägika In support of his contention Professor Modi quotes the Acuranga-sztra, where it is said that Mabayıra himself accepeted this stamāyika caritra" (conduct) with the words, "I shall not perform any eyil acts whatsoever "
He further maintajos that the term "fourfold' must be seen in this context not as referring to four specific vows but rather as explained in the Sthananga-sūtra, to the four modalities through wbich improper deeds may find expressions. Viz, mind, speech, body and the senses (or, permissible possessions of a monk ). On the basis of bis findings, Professor Modi has concluded that Mabavira simply elaborated the samayka restraint, which had been taught by Paráva as well Whatever the merit of his fladı. nge, Professor Modi has succeeded 10 presentinga Digambra perspective on this controversial problom which remained untouched since the publication of Jacobi's thesis in 1884.
Western Jaina scholarship, then, has been essentially Śvetambara scholarship Western scholars have favoured this school not only by translating canonical texts, which are by definition Svetambara, but also by their translations of non-canonical works - eg Hemacandra's Trişaşti-salaka-Purusacarita, translated by Johnson in the GO.S., Kumarapalapratıbodha translated by Alsdorf; and Anyayoga-vyavacchedika (together with Mallisena's commentary Syadyadamanyart translated by F. W Thomas. In contrast, the Digambara authors like Kondakunda, Samantabbadra, Pujyapada, Jinasena, Akalanka. Vidyanandi, Somadeva, and Asadhara, to mention only the most eminent. have been totally ignored, Virtually none of the works of these merruar bave been translated in the West, and the few notices one gets of Kundakunda in the works of Frauwallner or Schubring, cannot be conidered adequate given the vast amount of commentarial material on his works. Renou wag correct when he remarked that "the austerity of their the Digamboras hablts matches their doctrine. In Europe (and in India too. I fear) little is known of the ancient Digambaras".10
| SR No. | 520755 |
| Book Title | Sambodhi 1976 Vol 05 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani |
| Publisher | L D Indology Ahmedabad |
| Publication Year | 1976 |
| Total Pages | 416 |
| Language | English, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Gujarati |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Sambodhi, & India |
| File Size | 12 MB |