Agam 05 Ang 05 Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra Part 02

Author(s): Bechardas Doshi, Amrutlal Bhojak
Publisher: Mahavir Jain Vidyalay

Page 33

32
INTRODUCTION
From this we can easily deduce that if there were the reading 'uvarim in the text of the Bhagavatīsūtra, it would not have been necessary for the author of the Vrtti to give it as pratika and to explain it. So, I have considered the reading 'avarim yielded by the old mss. of the Bhagavatisütra as also of the Vștti to be original. This also makes it clear that in the period of Anga Āgamas the usage of the word 'avarim in the sense of 'uvarim' listed in the Siddhahema 8.1.108 and in the Deśīnāmamālā was in vogue.
2. In one ms. we have found the reading 'khattae in place of ‘khatae occurring in line 13 on p. 592. We have noted it as variant. The reading “khattae' is also available in the printed edition of the Süryaprajñapti. But we have accepted the reading 'khatae for two reasons. First, all the old mss. contain this reading. Secondly, the mss. of the Süryaprajñapti and the Candraprajñapti have yielded it. Here the word 'khatae is used as one of the nine names of Rāhu. The Pâiyasaddamahanşavo lists the word 'khattae' and gives 'Rāhu' as its meaning or synonym, but the reference given is not different from the one under consideration. On the basis of the mss. of the Bhagavatīsūtra, the Sūryaprajñapti and the Candraprajñapti which we have consulted we can say that the word 'khataya' (= kşayaka), instead of khattaya' accepted in the Päiyasaddamahannavo, is appropriate to denote Rāhu. At this juncture we take the opportunity to draw the kind attention of the scholars to the fact that for selecting readings we have taken into account readings occurring not only in the printed editions of other Agamas but also in the old mss. of those Āgamas, whenever we had some doubt.
3. The original reading 'mahoväsatarā' occurring in line 1 on page 627 is available in all the mss. except one. And as it fits well in the context it is accepted in the body of the text. But at this place in the printed Agamodaya Samiti edition of the Bhagavatisūtra as also in the printed edition of Abhayadeva's Vịtti, there occurs the reading 'mahāvāsatara', while a mss. of Abhayadeva's Vrtti yields the reading 'mahoyăsatarā' which is quite in consonance with the accepted reading.
4. The paper mss. belonging to the sixteenth/seventeenth century are copied from the old palm-leaf mss. Keeping this fact in view, we have used our discretion in accepting the readings yielded by very old mss. For illustration, one may refer to foot-note 6 on page 662 and the original reading at that place. Here the reading which is missing in very old mss. is found available in the paper mss. belonging to the sixteenth/seventeenth century V.S.
5. Sometimes the printed Agamodaya Samiti edition contains enlarged readings in place of the abridged ones available in all the