Sramana 1998 01

Author(s): Ashokkumar Singh, Shivprasad, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 110

śramaņa
A Study of Extracts in Aștaka-Prakarana
Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh* Haribhadra, an eminent scholar with the sound background of Brahmin tradition, after his conversion to Jaina faith, became authority in Sramanic tradition, too. His sound and deep knowledge of both traditions, as usual, proved to be great boon for him when he set upon to corroborate Jaina view-points, to refute those of other's (heretic.). His profound knowledge, of different traditions and multifarious disciplines, magnificently enriched by his genius, produced a great number of treaties of everlasting importance on the variety of subjecs.
In Astaka Prakaraņa also, most frequently, he quoted or referred to, with remarkable ease or rather at his will to support the Jaina viewpoint or refute that of heretics, from Jaina, Vedic and Buddhist texts. In the process scores of verses, references, occurred there in. He has cited some verses alongwith author's name such as Mahāmati (Siddhasena Divākara), in case of Nyāyāvatāra and 'Mahātmanā' (Maharși Vyāsa), in case of Mahābhārata, some references with titles e.g. Śivadharmottara and Lañkāvatārasūtra. But majority of the quotes or references occurred without divulging the both i.e. the name of author and title. The quotations and references, from Jaina canons and exegetical literature, have been referred to as Jināgama, 'Sūtramityāde' and Sūtre. Here is an attempt to trace and analyse the sources of these verses etc. quoted or referred to in Aștaka Prakarana.
Before proceeding, the effort of Mr. Khushaladas Jagajivanadaşa, the editor of Gujarāti translation of Astaka-Prakaraņa * Sr. Lecturer, Pārsvanāth Vidyapīțḥa.