Abhidharmadipa with Vibhasaprabha Vrutti

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

Page 22

Summary : Adhyaya I to cover many categories which occur in the Sutras but are not tabulated in the Abhidharma. The traditional list of the 80,000 dharma-skandhas (aggregates of the preachings of the Doctrine) is referred to with various interpretations of this word. The Kosakara and the Dipakara agree that this number corresponds to the 80,000 kinds of people, differing on account of their charita (nature) for whom the Buddha preached the law suitable to each one of them. FKarika 17] In the third pada, the Vritti deals with the eighteen dhatus in the well known Abhidharmika manner, i.e., grouping them in pairs and triads, sanidarsana (visible) and anidarsana (invisible), sapratigha (impinging), etc. The meaning of the term. pratigha is given in a passage which is borrowed from the Bhashya, including a quotation from Kumaralata. [Karika 18] While dealing with the distribution of the eighteen dhatus in the three spheres of existence, (kama-rupaarupa), the Vritti, unlike the Bhashya, merely mentions that the beings of the rupa-loka do not possess four dhatus, viz., gandha, rasa, ghrana-vijnana and jihva-vijnana. This Vaibhashika theory shared also by the Theravadins is very pointedly criticised by the Kosakara in the Bhashya. [Karika 19] While defining the term sasrava, the Vritti refers to the. Kosakara and criticises his definition of this. term. According to the Kosakara the dharmas, included in the first and second Truths are sasrava, because asravas (influxes) coincide with and reside (anuserate) in them, The, Vtitti shows that this is a wrong derivation. [Karika 20] The next notable topic in this pada is of vitarka and vichara. The Vaibhashikas maintain that there is some kind of sensation (vitarka) and discursive thought (vichara) in every moment of consciousness. The vikalpa is of three kinds : svabhava-vikalpa (pure sensation), abhinirupanavikalpa (investigatory sensation), and anusmarana-vikalpa (recollecting sensation). The Kosakara mentions these three