Jnanasrimitra And His Work

Author(s): Anantlal Thakur
Publisher: Anantlal Thakur

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Sp. Issue ] JNÂNASRIMITRA AND HIS WÔRKS and Vikramasilā under the patronage of the Pāla rulers of Gauda and Magadha.
References, however, show that Jñānaśrimitra was an important figure before Udayana. But we were in the dark about his contributions. Tibetan sources, however, inform us that this Jñānaśrīmitra hailed from Gauda, had a high place of honour among the scholars in Vikramasilā and was appointed the second Mahāstambha (great pillar) among the gate-keeping scholars of the Vikramasilā mahāvihāra. The great Atisa is said to have sought Jñānasri's advice on esoteric matters before his departure for Tibet. Again, Jñānaśri is said to have received special recognition from Naropant at the time of the latter's visit to Vikramaśilā. We further learn that one of the works of this Jñānaśrimitra called the Kāryakāraṇabhāvasiddhi is preserved in Tibetan translation. He is again said to have been a disciple of Ācārya Dharmapāla of Suvarṇadvīpa.
References to and quotations from his works are found in many philosophical works in Sanskrit also. And we find Vadi Devasūri attributing one Apohaprakaraņa to him. All these go to show the important place he occupied and the recognition his works received till their disappearance from India, after the fifteenth century A.D. When Sankaramiśra is found to quote him extensively.
The pilgrimages of Mahāpandita Rāhula Sānkrityāyana to Tibet have brought within our easy reach a number of works of this Jñānaśrīmitra along with other valuable works in original Sanskrit and we are now in a position to see how Vācaspatimiśra 'was criticised by him and what provoked Udayana to write his Nyāyavārtikatātparyaparisuddhi and Bauddhādhikāra.
The photoprints of palm-leaf manuscripts brought by the Mahāpaņdita and preserved in the Bihar Research Society, Patna, show that one bundle of 208 palm-leaves is entirely dedicated to Jñanaśri's works. It is written in legible Maithil script
1. Cf. Indian Pandits in Tibet, JBTS. 1893 and History of Indian Logic Vidyābhūsana p. 341.
2. 2500 Years of Buddhism p. 230.