Study of Tattvarthasutra with Bhasya

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Sec. 4. MATABHEDAS
with the contents of the table in the Svetāmbara tradition, but are in discordance with those in the Digambara tradition. The Bhāşya to these sūtras does not explain more than what the aphorisms say, although it adds a few illustrations to facilitate understanding. And really speaking, the commentarial elucidation is not much required to these sūtras 33-35, because their meanings are quite lucid by themselves. Then, how could the Digambara commentaries have produced such a remarkably different result from the same sūtras ? An investigation shall be made on this point below according to the exposition of the Sarvārthasiddhi, because the Raiavārtika and Slokavārtika do not say beyond what has been covered by Pujyapāda.
Pūjyapāda defines the word sadršānām in V:(35) as tulya-jāliya, which shows no discrepancy with the Svetāmbara definition of this term. The purport of this sūtra (35) which bans combination between the similer atoms with the same degrees is illustrated as follows (s - snigdha or smooth, r- rūksa or rough) : (1) Dissimiler 2s + 2r; 3s + 3r. (2) Similar 2s + 2s
2r + 2r Here the rule of prohibition is extended to the dissimilar cases also, which certainly contradicts the sūtra statement. Therefore a question is raised, 'yady-evam sadrśa-grahanam kim-artham ?,' to which a reply is mida. 'gu 11 -vaişım ye sadršānām-api bandha-prat ipatty- artham sadrsa-grahanam kriy.te'which is obviously drawn from the Bhāşya on V:34. An inquiry into the obscure position of 'sadçśānām' is not further pursued in the Sarvārthasidhi. According to Pujyapāja, atomic combination is thus prevented or proceeded in the following cases : (1) Same degrees (a) between the similar atoms
(No) (b) between the dissimilar atoms
(No) (2) Different degrees (a) betwe 5 the similar atoms
(Yes) [(b) between the dissimilar atoms
(Yes)] The last case, i.e., (2) (b), is not herein discussed, but the probability of their combination is positive from the succeeding sūtra. As the commentator himself admits the word sadrsanām in the sūtra has no meaning in this context; nay, it is unwanted as it misleads what is desired to be conveyed of the Digambara theory of the coalition of atoms.
The sūtra (36) lays down a rule for permitting the combination between atoms with the difference of two degrees. The word dvy-adhikādi is said to mean here dvyadhikatā. The purport of this sūtra in permitting combination is illustrated by Pūjya pada as follows: (1) Similar kinds
2s + 4s; 3s + 5s; 4s + 6s ... 2r + 4r; likewise
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