Risht Samucchaya

Author(s): Durgadevacharya, A S Gopani
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 52

INTRODUCTION in all its aspects? It is not definitely known what this MK is and by whom it is composed. Its very title is sufficiently suggestive of its being a booklet on Death. Durgadeva seems to have made a capital out of this. At the same it is also true that he has not simply copied down just s after the manner of a plagiarist but he has also expressed his original remarks at many places.
Samyamadeva the guru of Durgadeva was quite proficient in logic and philosophy. He had obtained perfect mastery in the science of ephemeris and had an admirable command on voca-10 bulary. He was not only an erudite scholar but a politician of a high order and in the art of debates he was a master wrangler.? Even though he had been such a sound scholar he was meek also and this added value to his scholarship
Durgadeva had had the luck to learn at the feet of such 15 a master. He was of a spotless character. His intellect was purified by the water of knowledge. His guru had gone through the whole canon and it is but natural that he might have handed over the traditional canonical knowledge without reserve to Durgadeva who was a deserving pupil. Saṁyamadeva seems 20 to have lovingly initiated him in a variety of scriptures and sciences. Secret of the science of disputation was also obtained by Durgadeva who succeeded in levelling down the disputants by his convincing logic and impressive orations, thereby in a way enlightening and turning round the people who were misguidedø. 25 All these varied gifts and covetable aoquisitions brought him fame and name. Durgadeva, like his guru, was very humble
1 See sts. 16 and 139 as well as section 4 of the Intro.
2 See st. 287. This is also corroborated by the following lines of the Arghakānda :
आसी एस्थ महीयले सुविदिदो सत्थत्थपारंगओ नामेणं सिरिसंपमा विबुहो वाइन्भगंधकरी ।। १४८॥
(from the Ms.), 3 See st. 254. 4 Compare the following line of the Arghakända :
x x x x x नामेणं सिरिदुग्गएष सुकई चारित्तचूडामणी ।
X
X
X
11388(from the Ms.).
5
X X Soe st. 258.