History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 221

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THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
but, now-a-days his tīkās on only Ayara1 and Suyagada are available. Different dates are given in different Mss. for Ayāraṭīkā. They are: Śaka 772, Śaka 784, Śaka 798 and Gupta 772.2 Out of these, I believe the third date is reliable.3 This Sīlānka Sūri appears to be the author of Caüpanṇamahāpurisacariya composed in Samvat 925.4 Herefrom we learn that Vimalamati is his real name. As stated by him in his Āyāraṭīkā (v. 3) Gandhahastin5 had commented upon Śāstraparijñā i.e. Ayara (1, 1); but this com. is now lost to us. It was utilised by Silanka. Some identify this Gandhahastin with Siddhasena Gani, pupil of Bhāsvamin and the well-known commentator of Tattvārtha. If this is correct, he flourished sometime between the 7th and 9th centuries of the Vikrama era.
In the Suyagaḍaṭīkā (p. 215) Śīlānka Sūri has expounded the five anantarya sins8 a subject treated by Siddhasena Gani in his com. (pt. II, p. 67) on Tattvärtha.
Vadivetāla Santi Sūri has written a com. on Uttarajjhayana. He has given narratives therein in Prakṛta as has been done by Haribhadra Sūri. 10 He is said to have died in Samvat 1096.
1. In its commentary (pp. 50, 87, 112, 118 and 131) grammatical forms are explained on the basis of prosody.
2-3. See D C G C M (vol. XVII, pt. II, p. 339).
4.
Is he the very one who is referred to in the com. on Rayaṇāvalī (II, 20; VI, 96; and VII, 40) ?
Is he the same as one mentioned by Gunaratna Sūri in his Tarkarahasyadīpikā (p. 451, Shree 108 Jaina Tirtha Bhavan Trust Ed.), commentary on Haribhadra Suri's Saḍdarśanasamuccaya? The pertinent line is as under :
“यथोक्तं श्रीगन्धहस्तिना महातर्फे - द्वादशाङ्गमपि श्रुतं विदर्शनस्य मिथ्या । "
5.
I find this quotation in Devagupta Suri's commentary (p. 2) on the Bhāṣyakärikäs of Tattvartha. I do not think it occurs in Siddhasena Gani's commentary on it. So has there been any confusion regarding the names and can Mahatarka be identified with this commentary?
6. This Siddhasena Gani is addressed as Gandhahastin in the com. (p. 521) on Tattvärtha by a pupil of Yasobhadra Sūri.
He is a pupil of Simhasūra, pupil of Dinna Gani Kṣamāśramaṇa. Some are inclined to believe that this Simhasura is Simha Suri, a commentator of Mallavādin's Nayacakra.
7.
8.
This topic is dealt with by Nāgārjuna in Dharmasangraha (p. 13).
9. This is why this com. is known as Paiyaṭīkā.
10. Thus he has not followed Sīlānka Suri who translated into Samskṛta narratives etc. occurring in Cunnis.