Syadvada Manjari

Author(s): Mallishenacharya, F W Thomas
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 12

1. THE SUPERIOR QUALITIES OF SRI VARDHAMANA
THE LAST TIRTHAMKARA
I. Or infinite knowledge (vijñāna), with failings outgone,
of tenets irrefutable, to be worshipped by immortals: (3) glorious Vardhamana, the Jina, the chief of authorities,
the sell-originated, I shall endeavour to praise. The procedure-connection is, "I shall essay to praise Sri-Vardhamana, the Jina". How qualified ? Infinite, indestructable; vi-, superior, that is, pre-eminent as having for object all substances and (their) states (par yāya)'); knowledge is the cognition (jñāna) termed 'absolute': so 'one who has infinite cognition', one of infinite cognition. Furthermore failings outgone, - because the 'defects', i. e. passions, etc., are transcended through being reduced to a state of non-existence; him who is so. Furthermore, not refutable, - incapable of being refuted by others; tenets, - defined as the Scriptures of the Syādvāda: one who has them, is so. Furthermore, immortals, i. e. gods; by them also to be worshipped, i. e. to be conciliated.
Here, by means of epithets, four fundamental superiorities of Sri-Vardhamāna-svāmin are declared. These are, I. superiority of cognition, because by infinite knowledge is established the Lord's infinity of cognition, qualified by its mark as absolute cognition; 2. superiority in avoidance of evil states, because by failings outgone is stated a complete destruction of the 18 defects; 3. superiority of teaching, because by of irrefutable tenets is stated the working out and preaching of the Syadvada tenets, irrefutable by the group of bad arguments propounded by worthless heretics; 4. superiority of worship, because by worthy of honour by immortals is recognized the service by great miracles created by the leaders of the groups of gods and demons, full of unfeigned devotion. (4)
At this point an opponent says: 'Let merely 'infinite knowledge' be said, and not 'with failings outgone', because that is implied. For without the transcending of faults a possession of infinite knowledge is unaccountable'. Here we say, 'This is to exclude authorities imagined by the followers of the views of false systems. So, in fact, the followers of the Ajivika system');
“Knowers, makers of the ford of dharma“), are the highest station: Having gone, they come again into existence for the overthrow of heresies".
?) A 'State' is a form assumed by a substance (dravya) e. g. a ring made of gold: in comparison with suhstance it is transient.
*) Concerning the Ajivika secl, of which the reputed founder, Gośāla Maskarin, is named in Jain and Buddhist canonical texts, as a contemporary of Mahavira and of the Buddha, reference may be made to Hoernle's article on that topic in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (I, pp. 259-68), supplemented by Professor Benimādhav Barua's valuable paper on the subject in the Journal of the Department of Letters, University of Calcutta, vol. II (1920), pp. 1-80. The doctrine cited in the text may be connected with the tenet concerning reanimation, which figures prominently in these accounts: it is discussed by Mallisena infra, under verse XXIX, pp. 161 sq. The verse, presumably of Ajivika origin, is quoted also in Manibhadra's commentary on Haribhadra's Şad-darsana-samuccaya, v. 6.
) A crossing over the stream of mundane existence. The expression "ford-maker' (tirthamkara), = 'Saviour', appears to have been used by Gośāla in reference to himself.