________________ Isibhasiyaim : 245 offered, in the smaller measure, by the mottoes of the Isibhasiyaim. It has already been shown that, leaving complete stanzas aside, in 11 cases a half-or quarter-Sloka appear as representatives of rhythmical language. From all the four "seniors" a bridge thus leads formally to our text, not counting the parallels in language and expression, on which attention will be invited below the text and in the commentary. It is perhaps not only the charm of novelty which makes the Isibhasiyain appear as an original work. To stand opposite a uniform creation is already attractive, if, in the case of its sister creations, Sus., Utt. and Dasav. one has to deal with more or less cleverly and transparently composed compilations, is in the case of the Bambhaceraim, however, which could be compared most preferably, with considerably disturbed contexts, and layers. That our text goes back to one single author, cannot be doubted; the parallelism in the structure of the individual chapters proves this no less than the throughout uniform style and the numerous self-quotations. The stanzas in a metre other than the Slokas may, for a great part, come from elsewhere, one or the other among them is likewise repeated by way of quotation. Yet the author could not manage without greater borrowings eithter. Such a one is No. 25, especially since its beginning taenam, according to the usage of the canon, continues a description, but does not start one. Section 20, void of Rsi and motto, likewise has a form frequent in the canon, and its starting-point, the 5 ukkala, is actually found in Thana 343a. Some prose which reminds us of known pssages may be more or less conscious reminiscence. These foreign feathers however, are covered by the plumage of its own with which our work adorns itself. That is the considered, but not rigidly kept up from and the figurative expression. As considered form is also to be counted the shaping of the motto, so far as it stands in prose; a lapidary mode of speech, which must have been chosen intentionally, in order to characterize the solitary knowers not called upon to be teachers. Disciples of Vaglaciri, Mamkhaliputta, Metejja Bhayayana, Varattaya, to mention only the obscurest of our Rsis, would indeed have stood perplexed
