Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals

Author(s): N L Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
Author of Rajavartika (The Royal Semi-aphorismic Explanatory): Bhatta Akalanka (720-780 A.D)
It is proper here to learn about the biography of such an eminent explanator and author - Akalanka also entitled with Bhatta - a brave and bold scholar and debater. The literature reveals about twelve seers with this name during the period between eighth and sixteenth centuries. We are concerned here only with the first one. His biography is found in "AkalankaCarita'(Biography of Akalanka), “Rājāvali-Kathe' ( Biographies of Royalties) and many other sources. Nyayacarya has deeply worked on him. However, it is shrouded with contradictory references in them regarding his (i) birth and birthplace (ii) parentage (iii) teacher-taught lineage (iv) area of his activities and (v) his period. Despite this, his compositions have earned him a high prestige recorded by many later scholars in their compositions. He has been ascribed with about twelve titles suggesting his profound scholarship, debating capacity, winning over philosophical disputants and logic-based scientificity. However, two of his facets are important - (i) debater and (ii) commentator-cum-author. In addition, he has proved to be the founder and systematiser of Jaina logic and theory of polyviewism. He was so influential that the Jaina logic was designated as 'Akalankan Logic, Akalankan genesis of theory of organs of valid 'cognitions', and so on. He was not only a logician and polyviewist but he was also an intellectual with the mentality of examination-based acceptance of traditional spiritual and physical concepts. He faced many anomalies in Jaina terminology and ambiguous points in his times with reference to different philosophical systems which he resolved without appreciable canonic transgression. He followed Umasväti's tradition of independent thinking.
Despite ambiguity about his biography, one can make out some general statements in this regard as per the logistics of Nyayacarya. There is a controversy over his period due to the meaning of the term 'the 700th year of Vikramarka-Saka' in the verse of Akalanka-Carita. If this means Vikrama era, it will mean his presence in 643 A.D. If this means the Saka era, it will mean his presence in 778 A.D. It is unfortunate that both the meanings of this term are found in different sources. Shastri (N.C.) opines that the discussion and evidence put forth by Nyayacharya is strong enough to support the thesis of his period as 720-780 A.D. assuming the meaning of the above term with reference to the Saka era (i.e. A.D. +78 years).
He was born in a royal ksatriya clan in the religeously dominated city of Kānci (Southern Kāsi) area of current Tamilnadu in about 720 A.D. He was locally educated in the first instance. He got associated with a Jaina saint whom he met with his parents. They asked him for a temporary 8-day oath of celibacy (which he took as a life-long one). It seems he must have been taught by this monk during his wanderings in the country. Akalanka must have realized the disappointing religious and philosophical state of the time and the anti-Jaina
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