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Parikshamukham
215
Bhatta Akalanka Deva promulgated the influence of the true religion by the weapon of arguments delighting the hearts of all scholars of the world in the court of King Hima-sîtala. ... Afterwards the great sage Mäņikyanandi wrote the Pariksämukham culling the subject matter from the ocean of the śāstra written by him (Akalanka). This work (of Mānikyanandi) is like a vessel to
cross the occan (of the work of Akalanka)* . Prabhāchandra the author of Prameyakamalamārtanda has written:
As the subject as laid down by Akalanka could be understood only by the wise, the Achārya (Māņikyanandi) composed the Prakarana to explain that subject quoting the same with the object of laying down the same and wishing to explain the same (to all) There are differences of opinion as to the time during which Akalanka flourished. In Aradhanâkathâ-kosa (15th or 16th century A.D.), Akalanka is described as the son of the minister of Subhatunga, the King of Mänyakheta. It is also mentioned that there was a discussion in the court of King Himaśitala between him and the Buddhists. In the Mallisena Prasasti in Sravana Belgola the latter incident is supported. It is also mentioned therein that Akalanka visited the court of King Sähasatunga. Dr. Satish Chandra Vidyābhușana has taken Subhatunga or Sāhasatunga as Krisnarāja I of the Rāstrakûta dynasty. Pandit Nathuram Premi following this view has mentioned that the time of Akalanka was from Vikram Samvat 810 to 832 (753 to 775 A.D.) Dr. K. B. Pathak holds the view that Akalanka was a contemporary of Sāhasatunga Dantidurga. B. Kamta Prasad Jain criticising the view of Mr. Premi, has accepted the view that Sāhasatunga was none other than Dantidurga who reigned from 744 to 759 A.D. and has suggested that the time of Akalanka was from 744 to 782 A.D. B. Kamata Prasad has given arguments to support his view in his article in Hindi entitled Sri Bhattákalanka Deva published in Jain Siddhanta Bhaskar Vol. III Part 4. This view has however been ably refuted by Pandit Kailāsh Chandra Sastri in his article Bhattákalanka ká Samaya printed in the same journal (Vol. IV Part 3).
The first argument of B. Kamtaprasad is that Akalanka has been mentioned by Jinasena in his Harivamśapurâņa and two verses have been
*सकलराजाधिराजापरमेश्वरस्य हिमशीतलस्य य महाराजस्य महास्थानमध्ये .....भगवान भट्टाकलंकदेवो विश्वविद्वन्मण्डलहृद्दयाह्लादियुक्तिशास्त्रेण जगत्सद्धर्मप्रभावमवूबुधत्तमाम् । तदनु.....माणिक्यनंदिमुनिवृन्दारकस्तत्प्रकाशितशास्त्रमहोदधेरुद्धृत्य तदवगाहनाय पोतोपमं 'परीक्षामुख' नामधेयमन्वर्थमुद्वहत्प्रकरणमारचयन् मुदा।।
-Nyâyamanidipika श्रीमदकलंकार्थोऽ व्युत्पन्नप्रजैरवगन्तुं न शक्यत इति तद्व्युत्पादनाय करतलामलकवत् तदर्थमुद्धृत्य प्रतिपादयितुकामस्तत्परिज्ञानानुग्रहेच्छाप्रेरितस्तदर्थप्रतिपादनप्रवणं प्रकरणACHTER: IEI
---- Prameya-kamala-mārtanda. Māņikyanandi was a Digamvara author....As his work is based on that of Akalanka, he must have lived after 750 A.D..... Māņikyanandi seems to have lived about 800 A.D."
--History of the Medieval School of Indian Logic , Page 28. 8 Jain Hitaishi, Part II, Page 428.
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