________________
Biology in Jaina Treatise on Reals
contemporary. He has depth in his descriptions and meanings along with satirical remarks for the opponents.
We do not find other details about his activities during his life time. Of course, his scholastic works and debates must have consumed most of his time besides his pontifical duties and observance of monkal practices. We do also not have any mention of his teacher-taught lineage. Nyāyacharya does not seem to agree to the hearsay about his brother - Nikalanka. However, looking at the places of his debates, his area of activities was in the southern and Kalinga part of the country. He had a glorious death in 780 A.D. It must be noted that while Akalanka was promoting Jaina faith in the south, his contemporary Svetambara scholar Haribhadra was following his path in the north.
The Project : Chapterwise English Translation of Rajavartika of Akalanka
In these days of (i) global communications (ii) promotion of harmony among the world of religions (iii) advancement of science and scientificity and (iv) thirst for knowledge, the Jaina faith requires universal propagation due to its self-experienced or observed and scientifically benevolent concepts attuned to the relativistic theory. However, the process has been hampered due to language problem. It is necessary to place the traditional or original general or scholarly literature before the world in the most popular language - English. Many western and eastern scholars have done creditable work in this direction. However, much more needs to be done. The promotion of faith in Jinistic spiritualism requires the scientific character of the traditional descriptions about the physical world. It is this point which needs active attention. The presentation of Svetāmbara literature stands better in this regard by now. The Digambaras should also take up the cause to let the world know about their early scholarship in elucidating the physical world through their literature.
Though it is heartening to learn that a good number of Digambara basic texts of Prakita and Sanskrta have been translated into English by the eminent people like J.L. Jaini, C.R. Jain, A.P. Jain, A.N.Upadhye, S.A.Jain, G.R. Jain and others beginning from the third decade and after in this century, but this literature involves mostly the primary texts. The Digambara literature has a large volume of secondary texts in terms of short or long commentaries on these texts covering a period of middle ages beginning from the fifth century onwards. These texts not only present the philosophical and logical background for the Jaina concepts contained in the basic texts but they also represent the developmental stage about them in their respective periods. They are, thus, historically important too for evaluating the eastern scholarship properly. Only rare cases have come up in English.
The ‘Tattvartha Sūtra' has been the most popular basic text in this regard. It has many commentaries in Sanskrta as already stated. It is fortunate to know that almost all important commentaries have been translated in Hindi.
25
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
