Samayik And Chaityavandan Vidhi

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 57

(16) NAMORHAT SUTRA
Now we are coming to a Sanskrit version of Navakärmantra, which is laid down below.
Namorhatsiddhächäryopädhyayasarvasädhubhyah
Meanings: Namorobeisance to, Arhat=Arihants, Siddha=liberated ones, Acharya=heads of religious order, Upadhyaya=masters of scriptures, Sarvasädhubhyah=to all the sages.
It would be clear from the meanings that this is the same as Navkärmantra. Most of the Sutras inclusive of Navkarmantra are in Ardhamagadhi language, which Lord Mahavir had used for his teachings. This Sanskrit version was prepared by the well known Jain scholar Siddhasen Diwakar some time during the second century CE
Originally he was a well versed Brahmin Pundit. He had gained so much expertise that no one could stand in competition with him. It was a time, when the learnedness used to be settled in open debates. He had vanquished all his opponents in such debates. Being puffed up with his knowledge, he had taken a vow that if any one could defeat him in a debate, he would accept him as his Guru. Eventually, he lost against the Jain Acharya Vrudhivadisuri and therefore became his pupil.
Being highly intelligent and learned, he quickly grasped all the Ägams. Sanskrit was at that time the court language and most of the Pundits used to write in that language. As such, the idea came to his mind to translate Jain Sutras in Sanskrit. Accordingly he prepared this version of Navkärmantra and showed it to his Guru. Vruddhivadisuri was, however, of the opinion that though Sanskrit was the court language, very few laymen knew it. Translating the Sutras in that language would deprive the laymen from access to the sacred literature. He therefore reprimanded Diwakarji for his audacity to translate the Sutra in Sanskrit.
The plan of Sanskritizing the sacred literature thus came to the end. Being very learned, however, Diwakarji has composed several books in Ardhamagadhi as well as Sanskrit. His Sanmati Tarka and Prashamrati Prakaran are widely read even now.