Dvadasharnaychakram Part 4

Author(s): Mallavadi Kshamashraman, Labdhisuri
Publisher: Chandulal Jamnadas Shah

Page 69

18
Bhrartrhari
Bhartrhari has neither given even abit of information about himself in any of his works nor has he directly mentioned the name of his teacher. Mallavadin Suri has (however ) mentioned Vasurata as the name of the) teacher of Bhartrhari in Nayacakra. Even Punyaraja, a commentator of Vakyapadiya' has mentioned the name of Vasurata as that of the teacher of Bhartrhari. The opinion of Vasurata is not recorded in any other work but 'Nayacakra.' Views of both these teacher and pupil are very well examined by the author of Nayacakra. Bhatrhari, too, expands the view of his teacher without specifically mentioning that it is the view of his teacher and establishes his own view by refuting that of his teacher.
Itsing, a Chinese traveller, has created a great deal of misunderstanding about the date of Bhatrhari. This has led some scholars to belive that Bharrhari flourished in the latter half of the seventh century of the Vikrama era, Yudhhisthirmimamsaka believes that he flourished prior to Vikrama Samvat 45. According to the Indian tradition Bhartrhari is the elder brother of Vikramaditya.
On going through a criticism of the view of Bhartrhar as given in 'Nayacakra,' we find that he is a protogonist (exponent) of sabda-brahma (sound-monism) and according to him sphola alone is the highest entity and the universe is its vivarta' (modification). Consequently the statement in 'ltsing Bharatavarsayaatra (p, 274) to the effect that Bhatrhari was a follower of Buddhism and he had been initiated seven times, may have been made owing to his sole rifatuation of his religion or he must be some other Bhartrhari.'. For this have flourished two to three persons by name 'Bhartrhari'. The authorship of Bhattikavya, 'Bhagavrtti, Mimamsa-'bhasya, 'Satakatraya' and 'Sabdadhatusamiksa is attributed to Bhartrhari. The author of Vakyapadiya, its commentory, Mahabhasyadipika' and 'Vedanta-sutravrtti' is one and the same Bhatrhari, a protagonist of 'sabda-brahma. It is not too much if we were to say that Itsing was totaly ignorant about this Bhatrhari, pupil of Vasurata. So it is a mistake to believe by taking his statement into account that he Bhartrhari flourished in the seven century. For there is a quotation from Bhartrhari's 'Vakyapadiya' in Kasikavrtti a beautiful and voluminous commentary on 'Astadhyay composed jointly by Vamana and Jayaditya alive in Kashmir in the beginning of the sixth century of the Vikram era, while giving an example for the aphorism 4-3-88. In Durgasimho's commentary on Katantra grammer, the commentary which is older than even this Kasikavrtti, the following line from a couplet of 'Vakyapadiya' it cited :
“gratuzTHIS AT "
Harisvamin, a commentator of 'Satapatha Brahmana who is pupil of Skahndasvamin and whose date according to him is Vikram Samvat 696, refers to Kumarila Bhatta and Prabhakara as Prabhkararah', in his bhasya' Further, he mentions even Bhartrhari an exponent of 'Sabda-brahma and quotes the following by mentioning his couplet :
"S a TCAETH, 'aada seguretat de la 3716:”
Moreover, Kumaril Bhatta, too, quotes the 13th verse from the 1st Kanda (sector) on of 'Vakyapadiya! This series of reasonings proves that Bhartrhari is anterior to even Kumarila Bhatta.
There is a cave of Bhartrhari in the castle of Cunargadh near Kasi. There is a tradition that this cave was got constructed by Vikrdmaditya- Similarly, a cave even in Ujjen which was
(1) Sams krta Vyakarana (p. 163).