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Society, Epistemology and Logic in Indian Tradition
Thus from Umāsvāti down to Haribhadrasūri, the predecessors of Bhaṭṭa Akalanka developed and enriched the Jaina epistemology.
Bhaṭṭa Akalanka's contribution
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The advent of Bhatta Akalanka had a great significance from the point of view of systematization of Jaina logic and epistemology. He flourished during the period from 720 to 780 CE as is upheld by Pandita Mahendra Kumār Nyāyācārya in the introduction to his Akalankagranthatrayam. Bhaṭṭa Akalanka has critically examined the views regarding metaphysics and epistemology of previous Indian philosophers like Dignāga, Dharmakīrti, Prajñākaragupta, Karṇakagomi and Kumārilabhaṭṭa. He authored two commentaries entitled Tattvärthavārtika and Aṣṭaśatī on Tattvārthasutra of Umāsvāti and Āptamīmāmsā of Samantabhadra respectively. In the Tattvārthavārtika Bhaṭṭa Akalanka has discussed the definition of pramāṇa and accepted that pramāņa (organ of valid cognition) is valid even after it cognizes the object previously cognized. He gave the instance of a lamp which illuminates the object even after the moment it is lit. Although the main subject matter of Tattvārthasūtra is not intended to propound epistemology, in the context of description of knowledge, commentator Akalanka discussed the definition of pramāṇa propounded by other Indian systems also. Aṣṭaśatī is a precise commentary having the size of eight hundered anuştubh metres. Deep sense, few words and logical acumen are the specialties of Akalanka's style and they are more distinct in Aṣṭaśatī. Akalanka included some new topics in the commentary and threw light on pramāṇaśastra explaining the Karika No. 101 of
