Mahanisiha Studies And Edition In Germany

Author(s): Chandrabhal Tripathi
Publisher: Chandrabhal Tripathi

Page 52

Chandrabhal Tripathi
16. PARALLELS
16.0 The MNA has many verses and also prose passages in common with various texts of the Jaina literature as has been already noticed by A. Weber and other scholars in Germany. Schubring devotes, besides remarks distributed all over his study, a whole chapter to this topic (MNSt.App.50ff.), where he critically evaluates the parallels mostly utilizing the Mss. of the texts concerned. Similarly, Hamm and Deleu not only refer to such texts and works but also utilize them for detecting variant readings they have to offer.
16.1 The most outstanding parallel is supplied by the anonymous prakirņaka called Gacchâcāra (Gacchâyāra), about 137 verses, describing "the qualities requisite for both a teacher and his gaccha" (Doctrine,p.113). MNSt.A,p.51 gives a list of verses common to the MNA and the Gacchâcāra which should be supplemented by references in MNSt.B and C. Accordingly, out of its 137 vss. as many as 54 vss., i.e. about 40%, have been borrowed by the Gacchâcāra from the MNA. And this fact is disclosed by the Gacchâcāra itself in vs.135, already quoted by Weber (HTJ,p.445 = SLJ,p.xxx and Verz.II,p.622-23) and, Schubring (MNSt.A,p.50):
Mahānisiha-Kappão Vavahārāo tahêva ya/ sāhu-sāhuņi-athāe Gacchâyāram samuddhiyam (1) 11135 or 1361/
(1) JĀG.17.1.1.1984,p.349. This is a sure proof that the MNA is chronologically earlier than the Gacchâcāra. But the date of the Gacchâcāra is as uncertain as that of related prakirņakas. All of them belong to a period in which the Jaina clergy was moving away from its high ideals and some malpractices, which they criticize, had crept into it.
Charts based on the information in MNSt.A-B-C are attached below: 6.6-7.
16.2 Next in importance as a parallel text is the Upadeśamālā (Uvaesamāla) of Dharmadāsa-gani which has thirty-one vss. in common with the MNA. After examining these verses in detail Schubring, MNSt.A (see 18.1.5), concluded that it was Dharma