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49
Vol. XIX, 1994-1995
A PUZZLE FOR... type of harassment was it? Who is Dharmottara? Why did Maliśāsakas take refuge under him? Why was he regarded netural or impartial? Was 'Madhyama' the title conferred upon Dharmottara? Had this Dharmottara any connection with the Dharmottarīya school (nikāyam)?
Vādi-Deva Sūri, a Svetāmbara Jaina monk, wrote his Pramānanayatattvālokālankāra in 12th century A.D. His voluminous commentary on it, called Syādvādaratnākara", is a highly scholarly exposition of the text, referring to so many Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina works and authors. Commenting on 'Svaparavyavasāyi jñanam pramānam iti 1|2|l'he refers to Dharmottara and Vrddha-Dharmaottara. On this basis Muni Jinavijayji floatted a theory that 'Vrddha-Dharmottara' and 'Dharmottara' refer to two persons of the same name, one senior and another junior. Pt. Mahendra Kumar after close examintion of the quotations cited in the commentary arrived at the conclusion that 'Vrddha-Dharmottara' and 'Dharmottara' refer to one and the same person, that wellknown commentator of Dharmakirti. So there is no question of ouridentity flying Dharmottara reffered to in the Raghuvamsa verse with Vrddha Dharmottara mentioned in the Syādvādaratnāra.
Nowhere do we find any clue that may enable us to solve the puzzle we are confronted with in the Raghuvansa verse.
4.
Syödvädaratnākara, ed. by Motilal Lald haji, and published by ArhatamataPrabhākara, Poona, 1926.
5
Hindi Introduction to Nyāyakumudacandra, Ed. Pt. Mahendra Kumar, Vol. I, Manikchandra Digambara Jaina Granthamāla, No. 38, 1938, pp. 94-96.
