Gandharavada

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

Page 28

drama of mundane life. King Delusion started sailing in his ship, Evil Intention, and his companions in his fleet of ships called Evil Disposition. They approached the ship our hero was sailing in and a battle followed between the Divine and the Demoniac Tendencies, The sides of the casket of Good Intention became worn out, and our hero decided to replace them by new ones in accordance with the advice of the good man. Consequently he created one after the other the planks in the form of the ten works mentioned above in the same order.
The great man was probably Hemacandra's preceptor and Hemacandra's goal in writing these works was to maintain and strengthen his pious resolution to attain emancipation and to be of help to others in reaching their goal. Looking to his works, and the fascination they have over the readers we can say that this was no tall claim. GAŅADHARAVĀDA-ITS LOCATION IN THE VIŠEŞĀVAŚYAKABHĀSYA
Višeşāvaśyakabhāşya is, as said before, a commentary on the Avaśyakaniryukti of Bhadrabāhu which in its turn is a commentary on the Avaśyaka-sūtra. Like Yāska, Bhadrabāhu also has given the etymological explanations of the technical words of the scriptures, in his case the Jaina Agamas, in his Niryuktis which are brief and give mostly the general tenor of the scriptural work commented upon besides giving such etymological explanations. In order to arrive at the relevant meaning of a word in a particular context he gives all possible meanings by the nikṣepa (aspect specified, e. g. name, concrete shape, present state, etc.) method and by setting aside the others recommends the one that is relevant, and gives his own comment, if he has to make any. Jinabhadra commenting on the Avaśyakaniryukti has seized the opprtunity to dilate upon the points touched upon by Bhadrabăhu or emerging from the latter's comment. We give here a very rapid survey of the Višeşā vašyakabhāsya so as to be able to point out the location of the Ganadharavada in it.
Every good work requires some sort of benediction (mangala); accordingly we have at the outset the explanation of mangala