Sramana 1998 01

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

Page 112

A Study of Extracts in Așțaka-Prakaraña
:
388
It appears that Ācārya has composed these verses on the basis of ideas found in Sivapurāņa. I have not been able to trace this particular verse in Sivapurāņa. However, its 41th chapter, Koțirudrasaṁhitā, verse 17-19 and in chapter 12th, Umāsaṁhitā the theme of the verse is available. It may be possible that at the time of Haribhadra this particular verse was available in some recensions of the text (Śivadharmottara).
Again in the verse sixth of the same Aștaka, Agnikārikā, Ācārya depicts that refraining from vicious conduct is better than endeavour to purify or eliminate it, after indulging in it (vicious conduct), through the act of benevolence etc. To substantiate this point, he has cited the following verse in the name of Mahātmanā (चोक्तं महात्मना), occurring in Mahābhārata --
धर्मार्थ यस्य वित्तेहा तस्यानीहा गरीयसी।
प्रक्षालनाद्धि पकस्य दूरादस्पर्शनं वरम् ।।६/४ That is for him, pursuing wealth for purposes of virtue, to refrain or abstain from such pursuits is better, because surely not to touch mire (at all) than to wash it off (after having besmeared with it) is better.
In the 13th Dharmavādāstakaṁ the Haribhadra upholds that virtuous ones ought to deliberate on the essence of religion. He, at the same time advises them not to ponder over the definition of valid knowledge, because there is no use in (deliberating on) it. To support this proposition, he quotes a verse (kārikā), in the name of Mahāmati (Siddhasena Divākara) (7911 GTE herfa:). The verses -- the one propounding his (Haribhadra) view and other, the quote are as follows--
धर्माधिभिः प्रमाणादेर्लक्षणं न तु युक्तिमत् । प्रयोजनायभावेन तथा चाह महामतिः ।।४/१३।। प्रसिद्धानि प्रमाणानि व्यवहारश्च तत्कृतः । प्रमाणलक्षणस्योक्ती ज्ञायते न प्रयोजनम् ।।५/१३।।