Bhadracharya Ane Dattilacharya - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text in English, focusing on the discussion of Bhadracharya and Dattilacharya:

The text, drawn from the Jain historical writings compiled by M.A. Dhaky, delves into the historical identities and approximate timelines of two significant Jain Acharyas, Bhadracharya and Dattilacharya, who are believed to have authored commentaries on the Dashavaikalika Sutra.

Context: The Dashavaikalika Sutra and its Commentaries

The Dashavaikalika Sutra, attributed to Aryashaktabhava or Swayambhuva in the late 5th or early 4th century BCE, holds a prominent position in the Svetambara Jain canon. Its profound verses on conduct and detachment are highly regarded in Indian philosophical literature. Over time, numerous commentaries (vyakhyas) were composed on this Sutra. The text highlights several important and ancient ones, including:

Niyukti by Acharya Bhadrabahu II: Believed to be from the 5th-6th century CE.
Churni named "Vriddhavivaran": By an unknown author from the latter half of the 7th century CE.
Acharya Agryasimha's Churni: Discovered recently, dating to the latter half of the 6th century CE.
Acharya Haribhadrasuri's Shishyabodhi-tika or Shishyahitavrutti: Written in Sanskrit in the first half of the 8th century CE.
Vijayaudaya-tika by Aparajitasuri (also known as Vijayacharya): From the Vapiya Sangha in South India, dating to the 8th-9th century CE, which is currently unavailable.

The Significance of Agryasimha's Churni

The analysis of Agryasimha's Churni is crucial. It indicates that before its composition, at least two other commentaries (vrittis) in Prakrit had already been written on the Dashavaikalika Sutra. Agryasimha's Churni itself cites the opinions of two earlier Acharyas named "Bhadra" and "Dattila". The author suggests that these cited Acharyas might be the very authors of those earlier, now lost, Prakrit commentaries.

Investigating Bhadracharya

The text then embarks on an investigation to identify these Acharyas. The dating of Agryasimha's Churni to the mid-6th century CE (as determined by Muni Shri Punyavijayji and accepted by Pandal Sukha Malavaniya) places Bhadracharya and Dattilacharya even earlier.

"Sthaviravali" of Paryushana Kalpa: This is identified as the most ancient relevant source. The portion related to Aryaskandila in this Sthaviravali is as ancient as the Mathura recension of the Agamas (around 353-363 CE). Within this older part of the Sthaviravali, the seventh Acharya after Aryavajra is named Arya Bhadra, and the seventh Acharya after this Arya Bhadra is again named Arya Bhadra.
- Estimating Aryavajra's time to be around the 1st century BCE, the first Arya Bhadra would be from the late 1st century CE, and the second Arya Bhadra from around the mid-3rd century CE.
Udayagiri Cave Inscription (Vidisha): An inscription from the Udayagiri cave (dated Vikrama Samvat 106, corresponding to 425-426 CE) mentions the installation of a statue of a Jinendra by Acharya Goshrama, who belonged to an Arya lineage. The text considers the possibility that this Acharya Bhadra mentioned in the inscription is the same as the second Bhadra from the Sthaviravali. However, it notes that the convention of naming disciples within the same lineage ("anvaya") was not prevalent among mainstream Nigranthas; instead, terms like "gana," "shakha," or "kula" were used. Therefore, it deems it unlikely that the Bhadracharya mentioned in Agryasimha's Churni is the same as the second Arya Bhadra from the Pattavali.
Churni on Sutrakritanga: A more compelling reference comes from an anonymous Churni on the Sutrakritanga. In the commentary on verse 760, it mentions "Bhadracharya." The text suggests that this Bhadracharya is likely the same as the one mentioned in the Dashavaikalika Churni and possibly also the one from the Sthaviravali.
- According to this Sutrakritanga Churni, Bhadracharya's guru was Dudhvaganikshamakshamana, who is identified with "Dushyaganis" mentioned in the Sthaviravali of the Nandisutra, and who was the guru of Devavachaka (the composer of the Nandisutra).
- The Nandisutra is believed to have been composed before the second council at Valabhi (103 or 516 CE). In its Sthaviravali, Dushyaganis is third in line after Aryangarjuna (first quarter of the 4th century CE). This places Dushyaganis around 400-425 CE and his disciples Devavachaka and Bhadracharya around 425-450 CE. This is considered the most probable timeline for Bhadracharya.

Investigating Dattilacharya

The search for Dattilacharya yielded a significant clue:

Mathura Jain Image Inscription: An inscription from Mathura, associated with the Gupta emperor Kumargupta, dated Gupta Samvat 113 (432-433 CE), mentions the installation of an image by the order of Dattilacharya of the Vidyadhari branch of the Kottiya (Kautika) gana.
- Given this clear mention and the inscription's date being approximately 125 years prior to Agryasimha's probable time, the text concludes that the Dattilacharya mentioned in Agryasimha's Churni is indeed the same as the one in this inscription.
- If this Dattilacharya also authored a commentary on the Dashavaikalika Sutra, its composition can be confidently placed in the second half of the 5th century CE.

Conclusion and Significance

The textual evidence from these two ancient sources largely confirms the existence of the Acharyas mentioned by Agryasimha and helps establish their temporal placement.

Bhadracharya likely lived in the first half of the 5th century CE.
Dattilacharya was definitively active in 432-433 CE.

Therefore, these two Acharyas appear to have been contemporaries. If they indeed wrote commentaries on the Dashavaikalika Sutra, these works would have preceded the Valabhi recension of the Jain Agamas (103 or 516 CE). The text emphasizes that the essence and fragments of these now-lost commentaries preserved in Agryasimha's Churni significantly enhance the value of Agryasimha's own work. The task of distinguishing between the specific opinions of Agryasimha and those of his predecessors is left to dedicated scholars of the Agamas.