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ANTIQUITY OF JAIN MANTRAS: AVASYAKASUTRA
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to two of the Six Chedasūtras viz: Vyavhāra Sūtra and Bșhat-Kalpa, their respective Bhāşyas and commentaries.
ĀVAŠYAKASOTRA Avasyaka-Niryukti v. 927 mentions eleven kinds of Siddhas including Vidyāsiddha, Mantrasiddha and Yogasiddha; and the following verses give their illustrations (See Cūrni p. 539 ff. & Brhattikā p. 408 ff.). Niryukti v. 931 defines and distinguishes between Vidyā and Mantra as mentioned in the note * on p. 147 ante. Niryukti v. 932 says that the universal monarch of Vidyäs is he who is accomplished in Vidyas or at least one Mahāvidyā like Mahāpuruşadattā as was Aryakhaputācārya. The commentary thereon says that Vidyās are accomplished even by obeisance to a Vidyāsiddha. Niryukti v. 933 says that he is accomplished in Mantras who has mastered all Mantras or many Mantras or even a single principal Mantra as was the Sādhu who through Mantra pulled out and drew away through the air the columns from the front of a palace-gate. Niryukti v. 934 says that he is a Yogasiddha who is fully acquainted with all the mixtures of magical powders of miraculous effect or even one of them as was Arya Samita. (See note: p. 191 ante). At p. 452 there is an interesting account of Sādhanā with a dead body and the miraculous effect of Pañcaparamesti Mantra which protected the boy meant to be sacrified to the Vetāla by an ascetic who was seeking Siddhi as to Suvarņa Puruşa i. e.goldman. At p. 407 obeisance to Arihanta is said to be the meaning of twelve Angas, as all the Angas are meant for purification of thought which is achieved by such obeisance also. Bșhat-tīkā p. 392 mentions Parasu Vidyā acquired by Parasurāma and p. 401 describes 'Cāņdālas' who were Vidyāsiddhas. Bịhat-tīkā p. 812 mentions a compromise effected between a person who had recently embraced Jainism and one of the deities previously worshipped by him, where by the layman agreed to worship the deity on account of insistance by the latter if the deity agreed to remain by the side of the images of Jinas. This shows that as long as a person worships Tirthankara as the only divinity who
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