Note On Mahabhasya II 366 26 Gunasamdravo Dravyam

Author(s): A Wezler
Publisher: A Wezler

Page 1

A NOTE ON MAHĀBHĀSYA II 366.26 :
GUNASAMDRĀVO DRAVYAM
Studies on Mallavādin’s Dvādaśāranayacakra II*
Albrecht WEZLER
. With reference to a particular period in the historical development of the Vaiseșika (as tentatively reconstructed by him), Frauwallner remarks that "just at this time the science of grammar began to penetrate philosophy with its ideas, while the grammarians on their part adopted philosophical ideas, made use of them for their own purposes and developed them further”. Indeed, to say it more generally, the main problem one has to tackle when dealing with 'grammar' within the framework of the history of Indian philosophy is - to use an expression as neutral as possible - the influence on each other of grammar 'and philosophy. Though some work has already been done in this field, last but not least by Frauwallner himself, fellow scholars will agree without hesitation that we are still far from a comprehensive knowledge of the interrelation between these two spheres.
The main source, though of course not the only one, Frauwallner had in view was, no doubt, Patañjali's Mahābhāṣya. A good survey of the relevant studies of this text so far undertaken is given by Cardona, but significantly enough this subsection bears the heading " Discussions of philosophical import" and starts with the simple description that "the Mahā-Bhāsya contains discussions on the threshold of grammar and philosophy ”. Nevertheless, among the studies subsequently mentioned or surveyed by Cardona there are some in which a serious attempt is made to deal also with the historical problems involved. The most perceptive, but at the same time problematical studies of this type are perhaps two articles of Frauwallner's, viz. one devoted to the