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THE AGE OF LOGIC
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than adequate assessment of the needs of the times. From the fact that Akalanka was followed by a series of brilliant scholars who continued his work whereas Haribhadra was somewhat unfortunate in this respect it can be surmised that the conditions responsible for the unfoldment of the specific tendencies of the age of Logic were riper in the Digambara camp than in the Svetāmbara. Be that as it may, Akalanka came out not only with an evaluation of the contemporary philosophical systems but also with a doctrine of pramānas typical of Jainas. He did all this in his commentary called Astašati on Samantabhadra's Āptamīmāṁsā and in his four independept writings, viz. Laghiyastraya (composed of Pramāņa-nayapraveša and Pravacanapravesa), Nyāyaviniscaya, Pramāṇasangraha and Siddhiviniscaya. In these works Akalanka undertook a defence of Anekantavāda, a developmen of the doctrine of pramānas and an evaluation of the non-Jaina philosophical views. It will be instructive to learn the details of his performance. But before we do that let us take note of the fact that Akalanka also wrote a commentary called Tattvārtharajavārtika on Umāsvāti's Tattvārthasūtra. Essentially speaking this work belongs to the class of such ones as conti. nued Āgamic activity in the age of Logic. For in spite of its occasional noticing of the non-Jaina philosophical views and its conspicuous tendency to appeal — in season and out of it - to the doctrine of Anekāntavāda it is in no way a text representative of the age of Logic. We therefore need not proceed with it any further and it will be enough to record that of Akalanka's writings this alone deserves to be considered under the head Defence of the traditional Jaina philosophical views.' In the case of his remaining writings it is not possible to bring any one of them under one of general heads. Thus Astašati undertakes a defence of Anekāntavāda within the framework provided by Samantabhadra in Aptamīmāṁsā while Laghiya. straya, Nyāyaviniscaya and Pramanasangraha are devoted to the problems of pramāna, naya and niksepa – which in essence means the problems of pramāna as well as Anekantavada; on the other hand, Siddhiviniscaya undertakes an independent treatment of twelve miscellaneous topics - some ontological, the rest pertaining to pramāna, naya, niksepa. And in all these writings maximum attempt is made to incidentally evaluate the non-Jaina philosopbical views. Yet it should be possible to study the cantent of these writings under our selected heads, viz.
(i) Anekantavada (ii) Pramāna (iii) On evaluation of the non-Jaina philosophical views This we propose to do next.
(ü) Anekāntavāda As is to be expected Akalanka's most clear-cut and concentrated enunciation and defence of Anekantavada occurs in his Astasatı. For here he
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