________________
An investigation of the earlier subject matter of ...
: 211
text is available with its Cūdāmaņi-tikā containing 2300 verses in number. This copy may be the ancient one'?
These grounds confirm that the edition of Praśnavyākarana having the subject matter of occult sciences has not become quite extinct rather it is preserved after being separated from Praśnavyākaraņa. If one compares the subject matter of all these texts with the subject matter of Praśnavyākaraņa available in Samavāyānga, Nandīsūtra and Dhavalā, he could definitely be able to find out whether the available different Praśnavyākaraņas are the part of the second redaction of Praśnavyākaraņa or other than that. It is also possible that at the time when Samavāyānga and Nandisūtra were composed, there were many texts famous with the name of Praśnavyākarana on account of their difference in recitation (vācānā. bheda) and the subject matter of all those text was incorporated in. This contention is also based on the assumption that the plural words like 'vāgaranaganthă' and 'paṇhāvāgaraņāim' are used frequently in Rşibhāșita, Samavāyānga, Nandi and Anuyogadvāra. To this it can be inferred that during this period several Praśnavyākaraņas were available due to difference in readings and recitations.
The procurement of palm leave copies of manuscripts of Pras'navyākaranas along with its Tīkāin Sanskrit, confirms that these works were existent in 4h-5ih century AD because in 91h-10h century AD the tīkās were said to be composed on these works.
Possibly, the matter regarding occult sciences might have been added to Praśnavyākaraņa near about 2nd - 3rd century A.D. and then the part entitled Rşibhāṣita might have been separated from it and made specifically a text of occult sciences. Again, this portion concerning occult sciences was separated near about 7th century and replaced by the existent edition containing ten chapters -five dealing with Asrava (influx of Karmas) and five with Samvara (stoppage of influx of Karmas). As I have already stated that two previous editions of Praśnavyākaraṇa might have been separated from it but their
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
