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The Sacred Books of the Jainas
Prabhāchandra in his commentary named Prameyakamalamārtaņda on Parikşāmukham writes that the wise only appreciate a work which has coherence in its subject matter, which has some object in view and this object is possible of attainment. Incoherent words like those of a mad man find no hearing. Useless attempts like counting the hairs of an ass or teeth of a crow or finding the weight of an egg of a sheep ( which are impossibilities ) are not made by wise men. They are not also attracted to a task which is unpalatable such as finding out another husband to one's own mother or to follow an advice to perform a task incapable of being fulfilled like the finding out of a jewel on the head of a snake known as Takşaka which is said to cure all kinds of fever.”
Prabhāchandra quotes these verses to support his view :
"At the beginning of every fāstra, the object with its connection should be mentioned, for a hearer pays attention to only a definite subject and things connected with the same. Who would pay attention to a treatise or do any kind of work till its necessity is patent? That Šāstra for which no necessity is explained is not desired by the wise. So at the outset, the necessity is to be explained. When the results of studying a Šāstra are known, the wise begin to read it with the object of attaining these results. Until connection with the subject matter is established, the writing is regarded as speech of a man uttering incoherent words in delirium. So commentators should explain the necessity of a work with its connected subject matter. Otherwise it will be useless.3
1 Warfare afa ar çral À CETTE 147437 1
at afar daroitga qefarcuri” 2 "सम्बन्धाभिधेयशक्यानुष्ठानेष्टप्रयोजनवन्ति हि शास्त्राणि प्रेक्षावद्भिराद्रियन्ते, नेतराणि। सम्बन्धाभिधेयरहितस्योन्मत्तादिवाक्यवत्, तद्वतोऽप्यप्रयोजनवतः काकदन्तपरीक्षावद् , अनभिमतप्रयोजनवतो वा मातृविवाहोपदेशवद् , अशक्यानुष्ठानस्य वा सर्वज्वरहरतक्षकचूडारत्नालंकारोपदेशवदू , तैरनादरणीयत्वात् ॥"
3 "सिद्धार्थ सिद्धसम्बन्धं श्रोता श्रोतुं प्रवर्तते ।
शास्त्रादौ तेन वक्तव्यः सम्बन्धः सप्रयोजनः ।।
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