Gandharavada

Author(s): Esther A Solomon
Publisher: Gujarat Vidyasabha

Page 14

an arrogant Brahmin scholar, came to the samavasaraņa to challenge the omniscience of Mabāvīra, as he had full confidence that no one could be more learned than he. But seeing him come Mahāvīra addressed him by his name and family name (gotra) (598), and also told him of the doubt he barboured in his mind regarding the existence of the soul. Mabāvīra also explained that this was so because he did not know the true meaning of the Vedic texts which he promised to explain (600). When Indrabhūti's doubt was shattered and he was finally convinced, he along with his 500 pupils became a disciple of Mahāvīra (601). This very Indrabhūti became the chief disciple of Mahāvīra. Agnibhūti and ten other Brahmin pandits also one after the other came to Lord Mahāvīra, but when they were addressed by their name and gotra, and also toid of their doubt, they also became disciples along with their followers, and they too attained the status of chief disciples (602-641).
There are thus 42 verses (600-641) dealing with the episode of the Ganıdharas, from the point when Lord Mahavira disclosed Indrabhūti's doubt up to when the eleventh Prabhāsa b came a follower of Mahāvīra. Jinabhadra, wbile commenting on these in his Viśəşā vaśyaka Bhāşya has given us his invaluable Ganadharavāda (our present work), the number of verses (gātbās) for each Gañadhara in it being :-1-56; 2-35; 3-38; 4-79; 5-28; 6-58; 7-17; 8-16; 9-40; 10-19; 11-49. In the Avāśyaka Niryukti we find mentioned the names of the Gañadharas, the number of their followers, their doubt, their ignorance of the meaning of Vedic statements, and the promise of Mahā vīra that he would instruct them correctly. Jinabbadra like a true commentator with a literary fair has pounced upon this opportunity which gave ample scope for a discussion of the doubt and the true meaning of the Vedic texts and presented this in a dialectical pattern where each Pandita is given the chance to argue out his case or raise doubts, or these are anticipated by Mahā vīra. This makes the text all the more lively and interesting.