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Jaina Literature [ From Earliest Time to c. 10th A. D. ]
judgement) are totally absent in it. This shows that these concepts came into existence later during c. 5th6th A.D.
After Tattvärthastra, Acarya Siddhasena Divakara's Sanmatitarka is the next critical and important work, composed in c. 4th A. D. in Präkṛta verses. It explains critically the concept of dravya (substance), guna (properties), paryaya (modes) and their mutual relationship on the basis of the Jaina theory of Naya, Niksepa and Anekantaväda (nonabsolutism). It is the first work in which one-sided views of other philosophers are critically examined to establish Jaina theory of Anekantavada. Some of the Dvātrimśaka-dvātriṁśikās, of the same author, also, critically examine the philosophical views of other Indian schools under the pretext of praising the Jina. Even if the refutation of the philosophical views of other schools of Indian philosophy is found in the canonical works also, they are neither critical nor systematic in their approach. Siddhasena for the first time, critically examined the views of other Indian philosophies, showing their logical inconsistencies. So far as the works on Jaina epistemology are concerned, Nyāyāvatāra of Siddhasena may be considered the first work on Jaina logic. This work provides the base to understand the later gradual developments in Jaina logic, particularly the contribution of Akalanka and Vidyanandi in this regard.
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Anekāntavāda. Aptamimamsa is an important work which establishes the concepts of Jainism after a critical evaluation of those of the other schools of Indian philosophy.
Another important work of this age is Dvädasaranayacakra, authored by Mallavädi inc. 5th A. D., aiming to establish Jaina theory of Anekantavada by pointing out inconsistencies in the thoughts of other schools of Indian philosophy. The style of this work is somewhat different from that of Sanmatitarka and Aptamimāmsā, as these two later works are composed in verses and deal with their subject-matter in a precise manner. Nayacakra is composed in prose and deals with its subject-matter exhaustively. The distinguishing feature of Dvadaśāranayacakra is that it critically examines the views of one philosophical school through the arguments of its opponent. In this way it makes a circle (cakra) in which the last school of thought is refuted or critically examined by the first one. On the basis of these three important works, this age is known as "The Age of Critical Presentation of Anekantavada". Besides 'Anekantajayapatākā' and 'Anekäntavädapravesa' of Haribhadra (c. 8th A. D.) also deal with the same subject-matter, but in a different manner. Visesävasyakabhāṣya, of Jinabhadragani Kṣamasramaṇa, is one of the important work of this age. In Svetambara tradition it is the first work which deals with various problems of Jaina philosophy in detail and with minute observation. In Digambara Tradition also the Tattvärthasūtra is considered as the first systematic work on Jaina philosophy. The oldest available commentary on Tattvärthasutra in Digambara tradition is Pujyapāda Deva-nandi's Sarvarthasiddhi which is next to Svopajña-bhāṣya ( autocommentary of Umāsvāti). It is composed in the first half of c. 6th A. D.
Among the writers of the Digambara sect, who wrote independent philosophical treatises, Samantabhadra (c. 5th A. D.) occupies an important place. His Aptamimamsa is a noted scholarly presentation. It immitates Sanmatitarka of Siddhasena, in style but differs in language. Sanmatitarka is in Prakṛta verses, while Aptamimamsa is in Samskṛta verses. It also critically evaluates the one-sided views of other philosophies. These two works namely, Sanmatitarka and Aptamimämsä, may be considered as the prime During c. 8th A. D. two more commentaries works for the exposition of Jaina theory of were produced namely Akalanka's Tattvärthavärttika
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