Canonical Niksepa

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

Page 81

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A group of canonical nikṣepas could be traced in the Avasyaka Cūrṇi (on Avasyaka Niryukti 776, Haribhadra pp. 307-307b).
(g)
PARALLELS
Parallels as mentioned in the Entries are passages which show points of contact with individual nikṣepas. Parallels in the sense of the present Section form a corpus (corpuses) which structurally resemble (s) the nikṣepa corpus. We distinguish between "close" and "remote" parallels. The number of "close" parallels is considerable (see p.67 below). They have not been surveyed systematically but nine specimens have been
presented as Entries ($52-60). All these nine parallels consist of a question-cumanswer unit, and they all have two or more, but at the most four determinants. The standard determinants are hardly in evidence, but the sets of determinants may include one standard determinant. The determinants are, in all cases, well-known terms rather than ad hoc expressions. The most complex parallel is $52 (similar to the Samukha nikṣepas). The others are simpler ($$53 and 59), or of minimal size ($$55, 57-58, 60). The parallels $$54 and 56 are untypical if projected on the background of the nikṣepa
material. The determinants are supplied below:
$52:
$53:
THE CANONICAL NIKSEPA
$54:
535:
$56:
$57:
$58:
$59:
$60:
mula-guna-PACCAKKHĀNE, uttara-guna-PACCAKKHANE
bhav-adesenan, kal-desenan
davy'-atthayãe, nina-dansan"-atthayãe, paes-atthayãe, uvaog"-atthayãe
ogh'-ādesenam, vihan'-ādesenam
davv'-aṭṭhayae, paes'-aṭṭhayãe, apaes'-aṭṭhayae
sa-tṭhān'-antaram paducca, para-tṭhān'-antaram paducca
khettam paducca, dhamma-caranam paducca
davy'-atthayae, vanna-pajjavehin (etc.) ogahan-atthaye, paes'-aṭṭhayle
If more material were brought together we could classify the specimens on the lines of the classification on pp.53-54 above.
The employment of the term "remote parallels" is hazardous. Here the similarity is apparently restricted to some features, and it might appear safer to consider these cases under the aspect of typical features (patterns, formulas, clichés) as they are found everywhere in our works. However, the facts are such that we would not do sufficient justice to their relationship with the nikṣepa, if we included the relevant cases merely into a general survey of typical features. It is better to treat the remote parallels (however heterogeneous in themselves) as a subject in its own right. The following observations will, it is hoped, give a rough idea of the situation.