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2. THE AUTHORS: AKALANKA
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Akalanka's Aștašatī is the finest specimen of scintillating intellect and incisive insight, being the commentary on Aptamīmāṁsā of Samantabhadra. No doubt, the author expresses his gratefulness in an indigenous manner. His Jaina Logic and Epistemology are grounded in the aphoristic statements of Samantabhadra. Akalarka uses such phrases as are expressive of the greatness of Samantabhadra,-Syādvādapunyodadhiprabhāvaka, Bhavyaikalokanayana and Syādvādavartmaparipălaka ; etc.
5. Siddha sena :
Sanmati sūtra (SSu) is a renowned work of Siddhasena ; it is maintained that Dvātrim śat dvātrimśatikā (DDT) and Nyāyāvatāra are also the works of Siddhasena; who probably flourished during the 5th century of Vikrama erał. Pūjyapāda belongs to the last quarter of this period, since the latter quotes viyojayati cāsubhiḥ–DDT in his SS (vii. 13); further, the Laghīyastraya (v. 67) contains the sanskrit version of the gatha—'titthayaravayana' from SSu 1. 3. In addition, he quotes 'pannavanijjā' etc. (SSu. II. 16) and 'viyojayati (DDT. III. 16) in his TV p. 87 and p. 540 respectively. It is clear that Sanmatitarka was the valid text for Akalanka, which he quotes at several places in his TV2. Besides, he refers to Siddhasena by name'Asiddhah Siddhasenasya' (SV. VI. 21) before Devanandi and Samantabhadra.
6. Yativrşabha :
The author of kaşāya Pāhuda cūrņi is a great canonical scholar to whom is attributed Tiloyapannatti also. Critics are not unanimous regarding the genuineness of Tiloyapannatti in its present form. As regards his time, it is proved to lie between 473 A.D. and 609 A.D4. Akalanka writes the following verse in the opening section of his earlier work-Laghīyastraya5_
“Pranipatya Mahāviram syādvādekşanasaptakas,
Pramānanayaniksepānabhidhä sye yathāgaman”. After this, he explains Pramāņa, naya and nikṣepa, according to Agamas. It is as follows:
"Triānaṁ pramānamātmāderupāyo nyāsa isyate.
Nayo Jñātūrabhiprāyo yuktito’rthaparigrahah” 1 Sanmati Prakaraņa, Intro. p. 41; NVVV. Intro. p. 141. 2 NKC. Intro. p. 72. 3 TP. vol. II, Intro. p. 15; JSIV, p. 586. 4 Jayadhavalā vol. I, Intro. p. 57 and TP. vol. II, Intro. p. 15. 5 LT, p. 18.
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