________________ xxvi INTRODUCTION karadatta. Hence Dharmakaradatta alias Archata is an elder, contemporary of Dharmottara. Pt. Sukhlalji has placed Archata before 725 A.D.2 Akalanka3 has criticised Dharmottara's views. Pt. Mahendra Kumara has fixed the date of Akalanka4 in between 720-780 A.D. Therefore, Dharmottara should be placed before 700 A.D., Dharmottara is a pupil of Dharmakaradatta, a contemporary of Prajnakara, and a pupil of Sakyamati who was a pupil of . Devendramati, a direct pupil of Dharmakirti. Allowing a period of 25 years for each of these scholars Pt. Rahulji separates Dharmakirti and Dharmottara by about 100 years. Dharmakirti in c. 625 and Dharmottara in c. 725. Since this is a tradition of teachers and pupils, it is not necessary to have an equal spacing among all of them. Therefore, if we place Dharmottara before 700 A.D. and if we say that Dharmakaradatta was his elder contemporary it will not be incorreet. These dates should be taken as that of the composition of their treatises. First Dharmakaradatta composed his Hetubindu-tika. Then his pupil Dharmottara composed his own commentaries. The following are the other works composed by Dharmottara : (a) Pramanya-pariksha-Vidyabhushana has mentioned a work named Pramana-pariksha.5 The correct name of the work seems to be Pramanya-pariksha, as given by Durveka. cf. aaa प्रामाण्यपरीक्षायां निलोठितमिति' / Pt. Rahulji has mentioned a treatise called Laghu-pramanapariksha in the list of Dharmottara's works.7 Vidyabhushana did not mention such a work. It may be that the Pramanya-pariksha itself is the Pramana-pariksha or the Laghu-pramana-pariksha. 1 History of Indian Logic, p. 329. ? Hetu-bindu-tika, (G.O.S.), Intro. p. 11. 3 Nyaya-vini schaya-vivarana, (Bhartiya Jnana Pitha, Banaras), pp. 530-1. 4 Akalanka-grantha-traya, (Singhi Series), Intro. p. 32. * History of Indian Logic, p. 330. * Dharmottara-pradipa, p. 24. ? Vada-nyaya-Appendix, p. 11.
