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also one of the Nihnavas1. Besides this Jaina philosophers did study Vedic and Buddhist logic deeply. This strengthened Jain logic also. The study of Vedic logic was also to certain extent responsible for their close contact with the Nyaya and Vaiśesika literature2. This close contact inspired some of the Jaina scholars to write faithful commentaries on some prominent works of Nyāya-Vaiseṣika school. The Saptapadarthi of Śivaditya being one of the most prominent works of the day is included in their list3. We know that though Vaiśeṣikas are known as SatpadarthaVadins in the world of Indian philosophy this was the first work to state Saptapadarthas of Vaiseṣikas. Of course Vaiseṣikas had accepted Abhāva as an independent category long ago but as stated Śivaditya was the first scholar to
include it in the list of Padarthas.
Śivaditya-the author of Saptapadārthī :
As to the date of Śivaditya it is almost certain that he came before Vyomasiva, the author of the Vyomavati a famous commentary on the Prasastapādabhāṣya of Prasastapāda. Śivaditya is not identical with this Vyomaśivas, because Sivăditya includes Sabdapramāņa in Anumāna while Vyomasiva recognises it as an independent Pramana and enumerates three Pramāņas. He gives his own arguments and tries to prove that Vaiśesikas also accepted three pramāṇas which is against the Vaiseṣika tradition. Śivaditya wrote also the Lakṣaṇamālā which was quoted and refuted by Gangeśa (1150-1200 A. D.). Śivaditya is also quoted by Śrīharsa in his Khandanakhaṇḍakhādya and Gangesa quotes Śriharṣa. Thus it is obvious that Śriharsa is anterior to Gangeśa and Śivaditya is anterior of Śrīharṣa. Now Śrīharṣa was a contemporary if not anterior to Bhatta Nārāyaṇa as it is evident from Gobhilagṛhyasūtrabhāṣya" of the latter. He was also anterior to Bhāsarvajña' who followed him in his Nyāyasara on the section
1. Ibid., p. 116.
2. For detail ibid., pp. 117 and onwards.
3. For detail vide, Saptapadărthi, introduction, p. X of C. S. S., published in 1934.
4. Ibid., pp. X and XI.
5. V. S. Ghate in his introduction to Saptapadarthi following Late M. M. Vindhyeśvariprasāda Dvivedi confuses Śivaditya with Vyomaśivācārya. Vide, his Intro., p. 9 (NS. 1919).
6. Ed. C. S. S. p. 176.
7. Vide, I. H. Q. X. 1.
8. Vide. Ed. Vidyabhuṣaṇa. Intro., p. 7-12.
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