Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 11

Traverses on less trodden path...
History of Jainism tells us that, although scratches of anekānta is found in Mahavira's teachings, its all round development took place only when Sanskrit language came to be used by the Jaina writers. This doctrine, being itself a synthetic philosophy presupposes the existence of various well-developed philosophical schools on the Indian soil. In the works beginning from Angas and the Cūrnis in Svetām bara literature and in Pravacano sāra and other works of Digambara literature, there is no attempt at the synthesis of anekānta with the Upanişadic monism and other currents of Vedic thought. Tbis attempt to reconcile different philosophical view-points is found first in a slight degree in the works of Şiddbasena Divākara (Circa 5th century A.D.) and Samantabhadra (7th century A.D.). In the Sanmatitarka (Prakrit text) of Siddhasena a distinct synthesis of the doctrines of Bauddha, Sankhya and Nyāya-Vaiseșika is found. 1 But reconciliation of some philosophical schools such as Brahmadvaita, Sabdadvaita and others are not found in the Jaina Prakrit literature, In the subsequent Jaida Sanskrit literature an attempt is made to reconcile the doctrines of all these philosophical systems. This unique attempt, started by Siddhasena and Samantabhadra, is found clearly on a large scale in the works of Haribbadra (8th century A.D.), Akalanka (8th century A.D.), Vidyānanda (9th century A.D) and Abhayadeva Sūri (10th century A.D.). The same attempt to synthesize all these systems is carried out on an extensive scale by Hemacandra (12th century A.D.), Mallisena (12th century AD.), Vadideva Sūri (13th century A.D.), Gunaratna Suri (15th century A.D,) and Yasovijaya (17th century A.D.).
Jaina theory of ane kontavāda is really an offshoot of vibha jyavada (a theory of analysis and differentiation) of Buddhism, 9 Literally, the term anekāntavāda means the theory of the many-sidedness of reality. This term is used in two seses in the Jaina philosophical literature. First of ali, this term denotes the Jaina philosophical doctrine i.e. the theory according to which reality is manifold and each entity consists of maniforms and modes of innumerable aspects. Reality is one and many. Secondly, it indicates the Jaina philosophical method which allows for reconciliation and integration of conflicting philosophical views. 3 In the first place, it claims that everything in the world is complex in its structure and as such has many aspects. All kinds of sources of valid knowledge, mediate
1 Sanmatitarka, with a critical introduction and an original commentary by Pt. Sukhlal Sanghavi and Pt. Bechardas Doshi, ed. Pt. Dalsukh Malvania, Pub : Sri
Jaina Svetambara Education Board, Bombay, 1939, p. 114 (Introduction). 2 Nyāyāvatāravārtika-Vrtti of Santi sūri, Introduccion, ed. Pt. Dalsukh Malvania
Pub : Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1949, pp. 11-35. 3 The Central Philosophy of Jainism, Bimal Krishna Matilal, Pub : L. D. Institute of
Indology, Ahmedabad, 1981, pp. 24-25,