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THE AGE OF LOGIC
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has frequently found occasion to undertake examination of such views. Thus time and again does Akalanka criticise Vijñānavada and Ŝünyavāda (usually in the course of his treatment of perception). 34 Similarly, in Siddhiviniscaya in the course of his treatment of sabda he twice criticises Sphoțavādas 5 while here as well as elsewhere he several times criticises Bhūtacaitanyavāda36; in Siddhiviniscaya Nyâya-Vaišeșika doctrines of God and soul and the Sānkhya doctrines of soul and Prakti37 are also subjected to an independent criticism. Lastly, Akalanka frequently takes exception to the Mimāṁsaka's defence of Vedapauruśeyatyavādas 8 and his criticism of Sarvajñatāvāda; 8 9 on his part Akalanka seeks to demonstrate that Vedas with no author to compose them are an impossibility while omniscience on the part of a Jaina tirthankara (really, on the part of anyone standing on the eve of mokşa) is a plain possibility.
This summary review of the various facets of Akalanka's intellectual performance should enable us to form an idea of his great role in the history of Jaina philosophical speculation. Of course, in so many things that he did he was a pioneer and faced the problems that confront a pioneer. Most noteworthy in this connection was his attempt at creating a Jaina doctrine of pramānas and certainly he spent the best part of his labour working around this problem. Always keeping Dharmakirti before his eyes
- not only as a rival but also as a model — Akalanka succeeded in formulating a body of tenets that well deserve the title Jaina Logic'. In all this his predecessors had provided Akalanka with no ready-made material to fall back upon; nay, certain positions traditionally maintained on the question created more or less serious difficulties for him, difficulties which he sought to obviate as best he could. Akalanka came after Dinnāga and Dharmakirti and in essence be alone did for the Jainas what they together had done for the Buddhists. But this late arrival on the scene of the father of Jaina Logic was bound to affect the fate of the Jaina camp. Akalanka's writings fail not only to be as systematic as is desirable but also to be as comprehensive in scope as is desirable. To be sure, Akalanka took note of almost all the serious rivals whom the Jainas of the period faced and he was also correct in choosing the direction from which to attack them, but the resulting engagements were of the nature of skirmishes rather than hard-fought battles. This deficiency of Akalarka was made good in an adequate measure by his worthy successor Vidyānanda whom we consider next.
(C) VIDYANANDA
(i) A Defence of the Traditional Jaina philosophical views
Vidyānanda is the last of the great Digambara philosophical triad of the age of Logic, his predecessors being Samantabhadra and Akalanka.
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