Book Title: Jainism And Its History
Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

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Page 140
________________ philosophy. The style of this work is somewhat different from that of Sanmatitarka and Aptamimāmsa, as these two later works are composed in verses and deal with their subject matter in a precise manner. Nayacakra is composed in prose and deals with its subject-matter exhaustively. The distinguishing feature of Dvādasāranayacakra is that it critically examines the views of one philosophical school through the arguments of its opponent. In this way it makes a circle (cakra) in which the last school of thought is refuted or critically examined by the first one. On the basis of these three important works, this age is known as "The Age of Critical Presentation of Anekāntavāda". Besides, 'Anekāntajayapatākā' and 'Anekāntavādapravesa.' of Haribhadra (c. 8th A.D.) also deal with the same subject matter, but in a different manner. Višesāvasyaka Bhāsya of Jinabhadragani Ksamaśramana is one of the important works of this age. In Svetambara tradition it is the first work which deals with various problems of Jaina philosophy in detail and with minute observation. In Digambara Tradition also the Tattvārthasūtra is considered as the first systematic work on Jaina philosophy. The oldest available commentary on Tattvārthasūtra in Digambara tradition is Pujyapada Devanandi's Sarvartha Siddhi which is next to Svopajna Bhāsya (auto-commentary of Umasvati), It is composed in the first half of c. 6th A.D. During c. 8th A.D. two more commentaries were produced namely Akalanka's Tattvārthavarttika and Vidyanandi's Slokavarttika which are of great importance. Both of these works not only propound the Jaina philosophy but also critically evaluate and estimate the other philosophical systems. Like other works, these commentaries also discuss the points of dispute between Svetambara and Digambara sects, such as the concept Jainism and its History 138

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