Canonical Niksepa

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan

Page 39

CHAPTER 2
GENERAL CATALOGUE1
We have prepared two registers for the canonical nikṣepa. The General Catalogue (this chapter) contains the complete canonical material, while the List of Entries (following chapter) considers only those nikṣepas which have been edited in Chapter 5. The material of the General Catalogue is defined by its four sub-titles (pp. 15, 22, 25, 27). The basic distinction is between "Samukha" (Nos. 1-74) and "Niramukha" (Nos.75-124) respectively. Apart from this, the arrangement is based on the traditional order of the works where the nikṣepas occur (Sthāna, Samavaya, etc.) and on the places of the nikṣepas within the respective works (Sthana 3, Sthana 4, etc.).- A nikṣepa supplied in Chapter 5 in the form of an Entry (and listed in Chapter 3) has been provided with a double asterisk (*23*, i.e. No.23$5). Here the number refers, not to the nikṣepa as such, but to a particular occurrence. Any additional occurrence of the same nikṣepa has been marked with a single asterisk (9*, i.e. No.9). References to related passages (partial textual agreement, but no nikṣepa character) have not been included in the General Catalogue. They will be found in the respective Entries under the heading "Parallels" (e.g. compare p.95). The basic information supplied in the General Catalogue consists of the "catch-word" (PURISE etc.) and the set of "determinants" (nama etc.). However, sometimes more text has been given and sometimes less. Four Niramukha nikṣepas from the Bhagavati (Nos.88-91) and almost all the Niramukha nikṣepas from Jīvabhigama and Prajñāpana have been quoted in full as they do not appear as Entries. The character of the nikṣepa passages being not uniform, differences in the presentation could not be avoided.
Some nikṣepas are self
contained tracts of varying sizes, others inconspicuous elements embedded in long discussions. All these cases have been included in the General Catalogue. Different are the reference formulas (e.g. evam java SUKKA-LESSA in No.86945, see p.124). Being merely extensions of a preceding nikṣepa (and resulting from the repetitive character of the material), they could not be considered as nikṣepas in their own right. It was not even necessary to include them always in the text of our Entries. Eighteen nikṣepas have no execution in their canonical context (Nos.1-8, 14-16, 46, 47, 54, 56, 58, 67, 74). This material belongs to post-canonical works from which it was taken before the canon acquired its present shape. For details and references see Appendix
1 For the explanation of terms see the references in Appendix II.
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