Abhidharmadipa with Vibhasaprabha Vrutti

Author(s): P S Jaini
Publisher: Kashi Prasad Jayaswal Research Institute

Page 19

Introduction This correspondence between the karikas of the Dipa and Kosa is very striking. Out of the 597 karikas of the Dipa, not less than 300 have their parallels in the Kosa. Except in a few cases, (which are noted in the footnotes to the Text), they are presented in a consecutive order. It is possible to determine the subject matter of the lost folios of the Dipa by referring to the corresponding Kosa. Even in phraseology, they appear almost as imitations of the Kosa. This may be partly due to the common subject matter. But on the whole, one is led to the impression that the Dipakara had the Kosakarikas as models for his composition. The karikas of the Kosa are brief and compressing many points in single verses. Hence we see the Kosa-Bhashya breaking the karikas in small pieces for commentary. The karikas of the Dipa are usually divided only in two parts. The number of karikas in the Dipa is larger than in the Kosa. This is firstly due to the new topics introduced by the Dipakara and secondly due to a detailed exposition of those topics which are briefly discussed in the Kosa. About fifty karikas are devoted to topics whieh do not occur in the Kosa.. About eighty karikas" are devoted to the topics which are treated only in the six karikas in the Kosa. It should, however, be noted that the majority of the karikas of the second kind contains, in most cases, only such details as are given in the Kosa-Bhashya. The commentary on the Dipa, the Vibhasha-prabhaVritti, 8 is also written more or less on the pattern of the Abhidharmakosa-Bhashya 4 of Vasubandhu.5. 1. See the following karikas :-58-70, 81-85, 93-98, 145-148, 214-222, 232-234, 451-456, 555-563. 2. E.g., karikas 101-108= Ak. II. 21. 300-324 - Ak. V. 26, 27. 332-355= Ak. V. 31. 397--420= Ak. VI. 18-19. 3. Henceforth called Vritti or Adv. 4. Henceforth called Bhashya or Akb. 5. This work has hitherto been known to us through the L'Abhidharma Kosa de Vasubandhu of Louis de la Vallee Poussin,