Jain Journal 1986 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 4

Refutation of Advaita Vedanta in Major
Jaina Works
YAJNESHWAR S. SHASTRI
History of Indian philosophy tells us that all the systems of Indian philosophy developed in the atmosphere of freedom of thought. There was a tradition in Indian philosophical platform to present opponent's view first known as the pūrvapaksa (prior view) and then establishment of one's own view by refuting opponent's stand-point known as the uttarapaksa or siddhānta (conclusion). This kind of method inspired the Indian thinkers to study thoroughly views of all others prior to the establishment of their own system of philosophy and gave thoroughness, perfection and catholic spirit to their system. Jaina philosophers also following the same broad-minded tradition, presented views of all the systems of Indian thought with considerable care and established their own principles refuting opponent's view with logical rigour. But it is very interesting to note that just as great thinkers of other schools of thought such as Bhartrhari, Kumarilabhatta, 2 Prabhakara, Jayantabhatta4 and Udayana,5 who treated only Advaita as real Vedanta system, similarly eminent philosophical personalities of Jainism presented and refuted only Advaita system of Vedanta in their writings. Even later writers who flourished after Ramanuja and Madhva mentioned neither Visistadvaita nor Dvaita system of Vedanta.
1 yatra drasta ca drsyam ca darsanam ca vikalpanam tasyaivarthasya satyatvamahustrayanta vedinah-Vakyapadiya, III-II, 200, pub. L.D. Institute of Indology,
Ahmedabad, 1984. u dvaitapaksat paranudya budhyasuddhisamasrayat paramatmanamevaikam tattvam
tattavavido vidhuh-Brhattika, quoted in Vedantadarsanam (R.P.), Pt. S. Subrahmanya Shastri, pub. Varanasiya Sanskrit Visvavidyalaya, 1967. 3 yastu brahmavadinamesa niscayo yadupalabhyate na tat tathyam yannopalabhyate
tattathyamiti namastebhyo-Brhati, part-I, p. 239, pub. University of Madras, 1934. atra tavat vedantina ahuh.. nityasukhamatmano mahatvavadastityagamapramanyadabhyupagamyatam tacca samsaradasayam avidyavaranavasena nanubhuyate -Nyayamanjari, II, Apavarga Pariksa, p. 431-2, pub. Oriental Institute, Mysore,
1983. 5 suddhabuddhasvabhava ityaupanisadah-Nyaya Kusumanjali, I, p. 4-5, pub. Chow
khamba Sanskrit Series, Benares, 1912.