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The Commentator's Ethics: Abhayadeva's Colophon to his....
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6. After thinking well about it in such a way, one may strive to understand the commentary] from the point of view of the siddhānta-doctrine, with unprejudiced reflection, particularly because it was deemed good by many wise (monks) such as Droņācārya.
jainagrantha- viśāla-durgama-vanād uccitya gādhaśramam sad-vyākhyāna-phalāny amūni mayakā Sthānānga-sadbhājane / samsthāpyopahitāni durgata-nara-prāyeņa labdhy-arthinā
śrīmat-sanghavibhor atah param asāv eva pramāņam krti // 7 (metre: Šārdūlavikrīdita] 7. After I have gathered with great trouble out of the rough forest of the extensive Jaina literature the good fruits, which are the explanations [to be found there], I have them and put them in a vessel, which is suitable for the Sthānānga; (this I have done) for the purpose of the attainment [of emancipation) by the people who in their majority live miserably. From now on this book si. e. the commentary) is a guideline for the sangha, the sovereign.
Śrī-Vikramāditya-narendra-kālāc chatena vimšaty-adhikena yukte /
Samā-sahasre 'tigate vidrbdhā Sthānānga-țīkālpadhiyo 'pi gamyā // 8 (Upajāti] 8. [Now, that] I have written the commentary on the Sthānānga, which can be understood also by men of little intelligence, 1120 years have passed since the time of king Śrī Vikramāditya.
If we reconsider now what Abhayadevasūri wished to communicate to his readers before handing over his book to the copyists and bringing his “unique effort" (asamānam imam āyāsam) to its final end, we notice that he begins his concluding remarks with a quotation of a statement he has made right at the beginning of his commentary (prastāvanā, vol. I, pg. 2): “Now I will examine the Sthānāngasūtra, the big treasure-store". Here we sense the delight he must have felt keeping his promise and bringing his task to a satisfactory conclusion. But self-admiration does not come into it. If at all one may detect a hint of pride on his side when he emphasises that he is, as a follower of the Jina Mahāvīra, or "royal” descent.
Then he expresses his thanks to his assistant Yaśodevagani. Unfortunately we don't learn any detail about the kind of help Abhayadevasūri achieved from his fellow monk. We may assume that Yaśodevagani was not only been helpful in matters of research, but that he procured and copied relevant manuscripts, etc. There can be no doubt that he deserves to be praised at this prominent place. Abhayadevasūri even feels obliged to mention his guru.
Then Abhayadevasūri bows to his learned teacher and gives the names of his ācāryas successively back to the third generation. He characterises them as eminent scholars and declares that all his knowledge and skills are due to them. Standing in this teacher-line obviously lets him feel the obligation to emulate their success. As he himself does, all those
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