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śramaņa, Vol 59, No. 2/April-June 2008
imaginary. No doubt the number of verses of Praśnavyākarana mentioned by Samavāyārga, Nandicūrņi and Dhavală, are nothing more than imagination. Although Samavāyānga and Nandisātra do not furnish the definite figures of verses but Nandicūrņi and Samavāyānga-vsttil2 provide us figures of its verses as 9216000 followed by Dhavalā!), which refers to this figure as 9316000. Both the figures appear to be imaginary only.
In this regard, my contention is that the subject matter of Praśnavyākaraņa as referred by Sthānānga, Samavāyānga, Nandi, Tattvārtha-rājavārtika, Dhavalā, and Jayadhavalā may not be total imaginary but certainly it was lacking truth.
In this context, we will have to reconsider the meaning of 'addāgangutthabāhuasimani khoma-āiccabhāsiyāṇam4 from the original reading of Samavāyānga as to whether Addāga, Angustha, Bāhu, Asi, Maņi, Khoma, and Aditya were real personage or just imaginary because then there will be no meaning of saying' it was stated by them". While reviewing the description of Sthānānga, I had expressed the possibility that Addāga-Ādraka, Bāhu-Bāhuka, Khoma-Soma were Rșis on the very ground that they are mentioned by Rşibhāṣita. There exists a possibility that Aditya can also be the name of any Rși. Only three names viz. Anguştha, Asiand Maņi are such names, which have less possibility of being any individual.
The result of this entire discussion leads us to the conclusion that the subject matter of Rșibhāșita has been undergoing changes from time to time. Is the ancient subject matter of Praśnavyākaraṇa secured?
Here it is also an important point of discussion whether the subject matter of first and second editions of Praśnavyākarana have been entirely destroyed or is it secured fully or partially.
In my opinion, the matter contained in the first edition of Praśnavyākarana named Rşibhāṣita, Ācāryabhāṣita and Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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