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Rishibhashit : A Study
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This means, if special meanings of statements are seen in some principles of other traditions, it is considered acceptable and of earlier origin like Rishibhashit. This is an indication that Rishibhashit is authentic and of earlier origin. If the term "work of earlier origin" has been used for the literature of the tradition of Parshwa, which is acceptable to Mahavir's tradition, than Rishibhashit will have to be taken as a work of Parshwa tradition. Schubring, in his preface, has accepted it to be connected with the tradition of Parshwa.
In the Avashyak-niryukti of Bhadrabahu we find infromation that Rishibhashit-Niryukti was written. But Rishibhashit-Niryukti is not available now. As a result scholars are not in agreement if Bhadrabahu had written this Niryukti or not. The general belief is that he had promised to write a Niryukti on Rishibhashit, but he could not write it. There may be two reasons for his not writing Rishibhashit-Niryukti. One is that he might have died before commencing the work. Secondmay be that, as Rishibhashit contained the thoughts of Rishis of other traditions, he might have intentionally dropped the idea of writing the Niryukti. But looking at the 'Isimandalatthu', mentioned in Acharangachurni, and the available Rishimandal-stava (Isimandal), I feel that Rishibhashit-Niryukti must have been written; it does not matter if it is not available today. In its present form Isimandal can not be accepted as the Niryukti of Rishibhashit; however, my belief is that some verses of Rishibhashit Niryukti, itheir original or changed form, have certainly been included in it. There is some basis of this belief, on which scholars should express their reaction after serious deliberations.
First of all we have to adjudge the similarity between the styles of Rishibhashit and a Niryukti. The peculiarity of the style of a Niryukti is that it contains the etymological explanation of some important words used, as well as a brief description of the subject matter dealt in the part or chapter of the original work, on which the Niryukti is being written. In Isimandal we find the following two verses briefly detailing the subject matter of Isbhasiyaim (Rishibhashit) :
नारयरिसिपामुक्खे, वीसं सिरिनेमिनाहतित्थम्मि । पन्नरस पासतित्थे, दस सिरिवीरस्स तित्थम्मि ।। पत्तेयबुद्ध साह, नमिमो जे भासिउं सिवं पत्ता । पणया वीसं इसिभासियाई प्रज्झयण पवराई ।।
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