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APPENDICES PRIORITY BETWEEN YOGASASTRA AND JNANARNAVA
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script was the first copy or Prathamadarsa of the author and the supposition of a prior Subhacandra as the author is quite redundant as there is nothing to support it except a mere doubt arising from an omission which may be accidental. Further, we do not think that the mention of Subhacandra himself being the author in the colophon recording Jahini's gift of the manuscript which is stated to have been got written for him is so material as to warrant the kind of inference drawn by Pt. Premiji. The proper date of Jñānārṇava would therefore be circa 1254 Vikrama era. Hemacandrācārya the author of Yogasāstra having died in 1229 Vikrama era it would be clear that Yogasāstra was written earlier than Jñānārņava. Its probable date is about 1216* as it is referred to in Trişaṣṭhisalakāpuruşacaritra written between 1216 and 1229 Vikrama era. Before going further into this question, we would tell the readers that this question is being discussed because in Yogasastra there are several verses which practically agree verbatim with some verses in the first chapter of Anubhavasiddhamantradvātriņšikā and the same verses appear in Jñanārṇava apparently paraphrased.
All the three works describe Mantras for achieving various worldly objects as also for attaining final beatitude. Compare vv. 1, 4 and 6,1, Anubhavasiddhamantra-dvātrimsika with vv. 31, 43 and 44, VIII, Yogasastra and vv. 36-37 and 60-61 XXXVIII, Jñānārṇava. Srï Hemacandrācārya in his own commentary on the said verse 31 says that contemplation on 'Om' as of yellow and other colours is described as it may be sometimes useful. Sri Subhacandrācārya in v. 4, XL, Jñana. says that the best of sages have published many 'Karmas' from Vidyānuvāda (i. e. X Purva) to satisfy the curiosity of people though they are achieved only through malignant Dhyana. Mantras and Vidyas for achieving laudable objects are considered to be part of
*Both Dr. Buhler and Rasiklal C. Parikh the learned author of the Introduction to Kāvyānuśāsana consider the date of Yogaśastra to be shortly after 1216 Vikrama era and that of the commentary on it a few years later.
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