Book Title: Rushibhashit Sutra
Author(s): Vinaysagar, Sagarmal Jain, Kalanath Shastri, Dineshchandra Sharma
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
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such it is difficult to ascertain to what sub-sect (gachha) this Dharmaghosha belonged and what was his period.
2. In the collection of Jaisalmer and Khambhat, ancient manuscripts of Isimandal Prakaran are available. Of these, the oldest palm leave copy of Vritti of Rishimandal Prakaran is available in Jaisalmer. The date of transcribing of this copy is 1380 Vikram, so the period of writing should be still earlier. According to the Tapagachha list of Acharyas, the period of Dharmaghosh of Tapagachha is Vikram 1302 to 1357. If it is a work of later part of his life, it does not seem plausible that the work of writing it and getting copied could be done during 23 years. On this basis, in the preface to Shri Rishimandal Prakaran (with-Vritti) printed at Nirnaya Sagar press, Vijayobhang Suri has expressed the possibility of antiquity of the commentator as against the original author, if it is accepted as a work of Dharmghosh-suri of Tapagachha. According to him this seems to be a work done by Dharmaghosh-suri the disciple of Vidhipaksha Anchalgachha Nayak Jayasingh Suri. His period was Vikram 1208 to 1268.
3. The most important point against accepting Rishimandal (Isimandal) as a work by Dharmaghosh-suri is that there is a mention of 'Isimandalatthu’in Acharanga-churni. This ascertains that some work of this name was certainly seen by the author of the churni of Acharanga. The author of Acharanga-churni is believed to be Jindasgani Mahattar. Scholars have deduced his period to be Vikram 650 to 750. Nandichurni mentions its writing period as Shaka 598 which is Vikram 733. Which means that Acharanga-churni must also be of the same period. This proves that 'Isimandalatthu' must be a work of a period earlier to this or of the sixth century, at least Scholars have accepted the period of Bhadrabahu (second), the author of Niryuktis as same. Here the other possibility is that Bhadrabahu promised of writing Rishibhashit Niryukti, but later, he himself wrote Isimandalatthu instead. What was the actual content of 'Isimandalatthu', is difficult to say today.
4. Another problem in accepting Rishimandal to be a work by Dharmaghosh-suri is that all the copies of Rishimandal do not
Rishibhashit : A Study
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