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Somadeva:
2. THE AUTHORS: ANANTAVIRYA
Anantavirya quotes (SVT, p. 260) the following with the word 'taduktam' in a chapter dealing with Karmabandha :
the same idea is voiced in Gunabhadra's Atmānusāsana (v. 241): asatyātmā stimitādibandhanagataḥ tad-bandhananyasravaiḥ, te krodhädikṛtāḥ pramādajanitāḥ krodhadayaste vratat, mithyatvopacitat sa eva samalaḥ kālādilabdhau kvacit, samyaktvavratadakṣatākaluṣatāyogaih kramanmucyate.
eşo'ham mama karma sarma harate tadbandhanānyāsravaiḥ, te krodhadivasah pramādajanitäh krodhādayaste vratat, mithyajñānakṛtattato'smi satatam samyaktvavan savrataḥ, dakṣaḥ kṣinakaṣayayoga-tapasām karteti mukto yatiḥ-YST, p. 246
89
Thus, there is not only a vivid comparison of ideas but so much of identical expression. The birth-date of the author of Atmānusāsana is Saka 740 (818 A.D.) and his period of activities extends upto 900 A.D.1 Somadeva had completed his work Yasastilaka-Campu on Caitra Suddha 13, Saka 881 (959 A.D.) which is clear from his Prasasti1 Hence, it can be said, with good certainty, that it is Guṇabhadra's verse that is transferred and transformed into Yasastilaka. Somadeva says 'iti ca subhāṣitamasvanite nidhaya', after the verse cited above, meaning thereby that he is quoting some author but with some alteration. The SVT quotes this modified verse. Besides this version, Somadeva seems to have quoted pariņāmameva kāranamāhuḥ (v. 44) from Atmānusasana in his YST (p. 336) with slight alteration, i.e. he uses the word 'kuśalah' in place of 'prājñāḥ'
and so on.
On the strength of the modified quotation taken by SVT, we can fix the lower limit of Anantavirya to be 960 A.D. On the basis of this it can be definitely said that Anantavirya referred by Vādirāja in Pārsvanāthacarita is none other than the author of SVT; further, it was but proper for him to refer to him because, according to Humach inscription he was the colleague of Sṛipāl, the grand teacher of Vādirāja. Vādirāja had completed the Pārsvanātha-carita in Šaka 947 (1025 A.D.); then his grand teacher, if he be at least fifty years senior, should belong to 975 A.D.
1 JSI, p. 141.
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In the light of these evidences the age of Anantavirya can be fixed as extending from 950-990 A.D. This date is substantially supported by epigraphical evidences too.
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