Book Title: Dvadasharam Naychakram Part 1 Tika
Author(s): Mallavadi Kshamashraman, Sighsuri, Jambuvijay
Publisher: Atmanand Jain Sabha
View full book text
________________
INTRODUCTION
Mallavâdi counts among the great names in the older history of the Svetâmbara sect. Tradition reports his decisive victory over the Buddhists. Nevertheless until recently nothing had been known of his teachings, because his works have not been handed down to us. No manuscripts have been found so far, and there is but little hope that they will be unearthed. There exists, however, a commentary to one of Mallavâdi's works, the Nyâyâgamânusârini by Simhasūri, the work to which this publication is dedicated. And it is with its help that to a wide extent the reconstruction of Mallavâdi's original is made possible. Above all we get acquainted with Mallavadi's views and doctrines.
Through this work we come to know Mallavadi as a remarkable and somewhat selfwilled thinker: it was mainly one aspect of the Jain doctrine with which he was occupied, viz. the doctrine of the Naya, the various possibilities to consider things. By means of quotations we know of a commentary to Siddhasena Divakara's Sammatitarkaprakaraṇam, which is one of the most important works dating to an earlier period that deal with the subject in question. As the name indicates already also the Nayacakram deals with the same subject, and it is Mallavàdi's merit to develop new possibilities in its treatment.
Mallavadi's Nayacakram attempts to categorize the old doctrine of the Naya or the various ways of considering things in a new and more systematic order, so as to bring about a refutation of all contradicting doctrines. Mallavâdi's arguments are based on what Siddhasena Divakara had laid down in his Sammatitarkaprakaranam. Besides he is in favour of concepts and trends of thought customary with Indian grammarians. Grammar, he states, has to be recognized by all systems (Sarvatantrasiddhantah ), and its views are binding for them all.
The old doctrine of the Naya teaches a number of standpoints which form a basis for the consideration of things. It holds that each of these modes of consideration by itself is onesided and therefore wrong, so that true knowledge of things only becomes possible by the combination and concentration of all modes (Jainism ). According to their object the latter have been divided into two groups by Siddhasena Divakara: modes aiming at the thing per se, i. e. substance (davvatthianayo ), or its qualities and states (pajjavanayo). His ideas are based on the Jain view of the essence of things, as we find it clearly defined with patriarchs such as Kundakunda. According to them things consist of their substance (dravyam), or their essence (bhavah), and their various qualities (guņâh ) and states (paryâyâh ), but they have no
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org