Vadnyaya

Author(s): Shantrakshit Acharya
Publisher: Mahabodhi Sabha

Page 7

INTRODUCTION
found anywhere. The first author who wrote a definite work on logic is Vasubandhu; he may be truly called the father of Buddhist logic.
His work, Vādavidhāna or Vādavidhi, is several times quoted and criticised by Udyotakara Bhāradvāja. 2 Its name is also mentioned by Sāntarakṣita in his commentary on the Vādanyāya. This work was never translated into Tibetan or Chinese and there is no hope of getting its original Sanskrit, but from its quotations we know that its theme was not merely Nigrahasthāna like the Vādanyāya of Dharmakīrti; since we find in it Vasubandhu giving the definition of Pratyaksha. As the times of Vasubandhu and Dinnāga are interdependent and they are still a controversial subject, we think that something should be said on it. Dr. J. Takakusu in many learned articles finds the date of Vasubandhu as 500 A.C., but in my opinion 400 A.C. is a more correct date-since (1) some of the works of Asanga, who was the elder brother of Vasubandhu, were translated into Chinese by Dharmaraksha* in 414 or 421 A.C. (2) According to Tibetan records Dinnāga was a disciple of Vasubandhu. In the famous śloka of the Meghadūta "faserri af aftES" Kalidāsa mentions the name of Dinnāga. Mallinātha and the ancient commentator Dakshināvartanātha, both tell us that in the above śloka by faster the famous Buddhist scholar is meant. As for the date of Kālidāsa® we are on surer 2 See न्यायवार्तिक, pp. 117, 40, 116 and न्यायवार्तिकतात्पर्यटीका,
pp. 273, 317. 3 peruantan, p. 40. * V. A. Smith's Early His. of Ind., p. 347. 5 Vide appendix C. 6 V. A. Smith's Early His. of Ind., pp. 321-22.