________________ INTRODUCTION The following account with regard to Aryadeva and his Ca tuh sa ta ka is found in the introductory part of its commentary by Candra kirtti (about 600-650 A.D.), I. 1. The Sanskrit 'portion being lost or not available we read in its Tibetan version : Aryadeva was born in the island of Simhala and was a son of the king of the land. After having become the crown prince he renounced the world, came to the South, and becoming a disciple of Nagarjuna followed his doctrine. Therefore, the truth of his Catu h sa ta ka sastra is not different from that of the Madhy a ma ka sastra (of Nagarjupa). The assertion that there is difference between their doctrines simply shows one's rashness. For, it is a false imagination. The following observation of Cancrakirtti also occurs just a few lines before the sentence referred to above: As Acarya Aryadeva desired to accept the discipleship of Acarya Nagarjuna there is no difference between their views. In giving the brief account of the subjects dealt with in the Catuh sa ta ka Candrakirtti says that in the first four chapters things occurring in ordinary life (hjig rten pasi dnos porlaukikam vastu) are explainea ; for, it is in this way that one can gradually understand the highest truth (don dam=paromartha). He explains it thus : [Chapter 1.] The five skandhas, such as rupa, etc., are originated depending on the cause and the effect (rgyu dan rkyen=hetu-pratyaya). Those which have origination (skye ba= slob dpon hphags pa lha ni sing lahi glin du hkruns sig ste mthar rgyl tshab por nas de nid du rab tu byun z'in de nas lho phyogs kyi brgyud Itar hons te slob dpon klu sgrub kyi ne gnas nid du gyur cindehi lugs kyi rjes su hjig par gyur pa do nid kyi phyir na bstan bcos bz'i brgya pa hdihi dekho na nid gan yin pa de ni dbu mahi batan bcos las bsad pahi de kho na nid las mtshan nid tha dad pa can ma yin nol gan z'ig mtshan nid so sor byas nas sm ra bar byed pa dehi gz'un lugs so sor sm ra ba sin tu bab col yin te deni chos nid la log par rtog pahi phyir ro ! =Acarya Aryadevah Simhaladvipe jatah Simhalarajaputro yuyarajo bhutvante tatraiva pravrajitah tato daksinadikparam parayagatya Acarya-Nagarjunasyantevasi tannayanuvarty eva babbuveti Catuh sa ta ka sastrasy a sya yat tattvam tan Madhyama ka sastr oktat tattvan na vilaksanam yas tu prthagla ksanam kftva kathayati tasya prthaksamayakathanam atisahasam taddharmasya mithyakalpitatvat gan gi phyir na slob dpon hphags pa lha hdi ni slob dpon klu sgrub slob mar gnan bar hdod gyur pa dehi phyir hdibi de nid lugs_las lugs gz'an min =Yasmad ayam Acarya Aryadeva Acarya-Nagarjunasya sisyatvam svikartum akamayata tasmat tan matam asya matan nanyat
