Facets of Jain Philosophy Religion and Culture

Author(s): Shreechand Rampuriya, Ashwini Kumar, T M Dak, Anil Dutt Mishra
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 290

The Development of the Doctrine of Anekāntavāda 273
history of Jaina philosophy. In the words of Dr. S.C. Vidyabhusana
during the era of tradition there existed no systematic Jaina treatise on logic, its principle being included in the works of metaphysics and religion. With the commencement of the Historical period in 453 A.D. there grew up, among the Jainas of both the Svetāmbara and Digambara sects, a band of scholars who devoted themselves to the study of logic with great interest and enthusiasm.”:29 It is during this period that we meet for the first time two great logicians-Siddhasena Divākara and Samantabhadra. By intro- ducing a systematic study of logic they laid the foundation of logic among the Jainas for the first time. Both of them were brilliant scholars who acquired a great prominence in their epoch. Siddhasena and Samantabhadra composed works where they elaborately discussed logical principles and gave an authoritative exposition of the Syadvāda doctrine. Their review of the contemporary schools of philosophy and the declaration that all the heretical doctrines combined form the true Jaina doctrine of Syädväda",30 a synthetic and comprehensive view, is really very remarkable in the annals of the Jaina tradition.
Then we come to Mallavädin and Jinabhadragani. The former is called vādin or logician, and it is said that defeating the Buddhists in a dispute he reestablished the Jaina faith.31 Jinabhadra is called a great authority on the sacred literature of the Jainas. He almost followed the method of Siddhasena.
After this in the eighth century A.D. again we come to two great exponents of Jaina philosophy who spread the Jaina principles far and wide and thereby contributed much to the uplift of the Jaina religion. They are Akalanka and Haribhadra. They were most celebrated writers on Jaina logic. Akalanka is called 'the crest gem of the circle of all logicians', while Haribhadra is described as having protected the word of the Arhats like a mother, by his 1,400 works. Logic had gained a very important place during this era. Akalanka and Haribhadra devoted themselves to the study of Jaina logic, they entered into discussion with their opponents, and thereby they carried the Jaina mission. It is for the first time that we come across a very minute and scholarly description of the doctrine of Syādvāda.32 The important treatment of the six
29. History of Indian Logic, p. 172. 30. Sanmatitarka 3-69; 3-47. 31. Unfortunately no work of Mallavādin has come out as yet. 32. vide Rājavārtika, I. 6.5, p. 24 ff.