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with it, for a long time, and in which the names of the Rşis2 (6 gabās), and the catch-words of their utterances (4 gāhās) as well as the abovementioned quotations from Thāna, Samavāya, and Pakkhiya with their commentaries, are put together. That we have the old Isibhāsiyaim before us, cannot be doubted. Numerous, indisputably genuine reminiscences in language and style link the work up with the Āyara', the Sūyagada the Uttarajjhāyā, and the Dasaveyaliya, the seniors_of the canon. Just Leumann (loc. cit. p. 1) compares the Āvaśyaka, on account of its daily utilization, with the Lord's Prayer, one might liken the latter four texts, in view of their importance, at least for the svetambara Church, to the four Gospels, and add the Isibhāsiyāim as an apocryphical fifth one, just as at the side of the original Gospels more than one apocryphical Gospels were placed.
According to brahmanical model, the Jainas use the word rși in the sense of muni; in ecclesiastic names too either appears as well as the other, cp. Candra-rşi, Brahma-muni, Siddha-rși. In the Isibhāsiyaim however, a special meaning intrudes, since the speakers of the text are considered as pratyeka-buddhas, and also appear as such in tradition, just as the title of our printed pamphlet and the colophon of our MS. too are composed accordingly. The case of the Isimandala (pagaraņa), which will have to be referred to repeatedly later is similar. The idea of a pratyekabuddha, i. e, a man who arrived at the highest knowledge by himself, like the buddha, but, unlike the latter, did not form a community or school, has proved very useful for purposes of propaganda. It made it possible to claim for the Jaina faith men who originally stood aloof from the latter. Of this possibility, the author of our text has made good use by introducing a number of names of Vedic-brahmanic character and of buddhist competency. But that he did have pratyeka-buddhas in view, follows also from the fact that to each of the speakers a buitam, a mere dictum, is assigned, for therewith, their intention of teaching is denied. If the latter were present, we should find pannattam. For, the 45 sections of the Isibbasiyaim are, with one exception, based on the principle that a more or less laconic dictum stated to have been uttered by a Rşi, is discussed more or less minutely, and concluded with a stereotype final phrase culminating in ti bemi. The exception is formed by No. 20, which lacks in Rși, and it is perhaps due to it that the Samavaya speaks of only 44 ajjhayana.
p. 491
2. The latter are also mentioned in Weber Verz. II 949 from a very defective MS.
(vide below). 3. Especially with the Bambhaceräim, ed. 1910. Ay. Il refers to Jacobi's edition 1882.
