Agam 39 Chhed 06 Mahanishith Sutra

Author(s): Punyavijay, Rupendrakumar Pagariya, Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: Prakrit Granth Parishad

Page 26

MAHĀNISIHA STUDIES AND EDITION IN GERMANY
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Furthermore, emphasis is laid "pon reverence (vamde, vamdiyyā) for pictures (padimā) and temples (ccia, ceivälaya). A sjecial.formula seems to have been made use of in this connection, an enigmatical treatment of the letters which occurs after the fashion of the treatment of a um (om) in the Upanishads and in similar formulas in the tantra ritual. This entire subject was a riddle to the copyist (see 1.928.2), and so it remains for us. After the real conclusion of the work, in an addition, a similar subject.is treated of in like manner merely by means of single letters (VIII.846, see MNSt.C,pp.106-7).
Book II is entitled kammavivāyanam (rec.: -vivāga-vägarana), ... At the end is found an obscure statement which perhaps has reference to Ajjh.I.II and which reads: eesim tu ... (see II.837.2; 99.2].
Books III and IV, without specific titles, are composed almost entirely in prose, and treat specially of the kusila. It is noticeable that in Book III frequent reference (or, reverence?) is paid to the duvālasamgam suya-nāņam and the samgôvamga-duvālas'. amga-samudda. The commencement with sāmāiya is retained, and the suya-nāņam is then characterized as sämãiya-m-ai logabindu-sā<ga>ra-payyavasānam. We find in the text ... following statements which are very characteristic as regards the origin and hists; of Book III: tattha tattha ... (cf. III, 846). This is an example of the saying qui s'excuse s'accuse. It is more probable that the above 's a production of the author him.self than it emanates from the hand of the copyist who is inclined to doubt. Bɔok IV contains a legend of two brothers, Sumati and Nāila29, in which we may observe an occasional reference in Sanskrit!) to an old elucidation (!) of Anga 10: śeșan tu ... (see 19.6]. -- (IV.814 B,p.181,lines 9ff.) Whoever, bhikṣu or bhikṣuņi, should praise the adherents of hostile systems or schismatics (parapāsamdiņam pasasam kareyya, je yā vi ņam ninhagānam p. k.), whoever speaks in favour of the schismatics (niņhagāņam anukulam bhāseyyā), visits their temples (niņh. āyatanam pavisiyya), studies their texts (gantha-satthu-pay'akkharam vā parūveyyā), or follows their ordinances (niņh. samkalie kiles'āie tavei vă samjamei vā jāņei vā vinnāvei vă suei vā padivvei vā avimuhasuddha-parisā-muyaggūe saläheyya), his fate will be as disastrous as that of Sumati, sa vi ņam paramâhammiesum uvavayyeyya jahā Sumati. The hate against the heterodox and schismatics is here so bitter, that the conjecture is not too bold if we assume that the heterodox and schismatics had at that time got possession of the text of this book.
Book V, duvälasamga-suya-nānassa ņavaniya-sära, mentions the duvālasamga, but merely in a general way. It treats especially of the relation between the teacher (guru) and student (sīsa), of the āyāra (gacchâyāra), and aņāyāra.
29 Weber,fn.93: In the Theravali of the Kalpassūtra), one of the four scholars of Vajra(svāmin), or of Vajrasena, is called by this name. He was the founder of a school which bore his name. Bhūadinna, the scholar of Nagajjuna, was froin the Näilakula: sce vs.41 of the Theravali in the Nandis[ūtra).