On The Date Of The Nnyayavatara

Author(s): Piotr Balcerowicz
Publisher: Piotr Balcerowicz

Page 1

On the Date of the Nyāyāvatāra
PIOTR BALCEROWICZ
The Nyayavatara, a work in thirty-two verses-and hence also called Dvatrimusika--ascribed by tradition to Siddhasena Divakara, is deemed to open a new era in the history of Jaina epistemology. It is mostly in the realm of Jaina epistemic pursuits that the Dvātrinsika might claim the status of an innovative or prototypical work. When we, however, consider the development of logic and epistemology in India on a larger scale, the work seems to lose its flavour of originality and novelty.
The problem of the exact dating of the Nyāyavataral should be solved independently, irrespective of whether the work can be accurately ascribed to a Siddhasona (Divakara?), the celebrated author of a series of Dvåtrinskas, to a Siddhasena (Divakara?), the author of the Sanmati-tarka-prakarana or to some other Siddhasena (?). Just to mention in passing, several features of the Nyaydvatára and the Sanmail-tarka-prakarana evince a discrepant attitude towards the Jaina Canon and tradition of both works, different choice of vocabulary, which was not necessitated by the use of different languages (Sanskrit and Prakrit), and the notions and ideas they use are likewise at variance. Accordingly, it seems to me that both works must have apparently been written by two different people.?
The most comprehensive bibliographic survey of publications on Siddhasena Divakara is fumished by UPADHYE (1971) in his "Introduction (pp. xi-xxvii) and
Bibliographic Survey' (pp. *3.972). A few more publications have been published since the review: MOOKERJEE (1971), DHAKY (1981-82). GRANOFF (1989-1990), DHAKY (1990), DHAKY (1995) and WAYMAN (1996).
The question has been discussed at length in BALCEROWICZ (forthcoming). A detailed comparison of the contents, style and philosophical background of Siddhasena Divákara's Mydydvatra and Siddhasena "Mahamati's Santmaticarka-prakarana (vide infra p. 47 f.), brings me to the conclusion that these two works were written by two different persons. Following the findings presented in BALCEROWICZ (forthcoming), esp. in view of the lack of any hint that the author of STP. knew of Dirniga, I would maintain that STP. must have been composed slightly before or circa 500 C.E.
On the Understanding of Other Culture - Proceedings. pp. 17-57. Copyright © 2000 by Ploir Balcerowicz & Marek Mejor (eds.)