Buddhisagarsuri Linganusasan With Auto Commentary

Here is a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Buddhisagarsuri Linganusasan with Auto Commentary," focusing on its content and context as presented in the excerpt:

Title: Buddhisagarsuri Linganusasan with Auto Commentary Author: N. M. Kansara (Editor/Commentator) Work Discussed: Linganusasan (part of the larger work Pañca-granthi-vyākarana) by Buddhisāgara Sūri

Introduction and Context:

• Author: Buddhisāgara Sūri was a Jain scholar who flourished in the first half of the 11th century AD. He was a disciple of Vardhamāna Sūri of the Candra-gaccha.
• Contemporary and Co-disciple: He was a contemporary and co-disciple of the renowned Jineśvara Sūri, the future arch-patriarch of the Kharatara-gaccha.
• Motivation for Work: Jineśvara Sūri mentions that he and Buddhisāgara Sūri undertook to compose works on nyāyalakṣaṇa (epistemology) and vyākaraṇa (grammar) respectively, to counter the criticism that Jainas did not produce original works in these fields.
• Buddhisāgara Sūri's Grammar: Buddhisāgara Sūri composed the Pañca-granthi-vyākarana, also known as Buddhisāgara-vyākarana.
• Significance of Pañca-granthi-vyākarana:
  • It was composed in metrical style.
  • It was accompanied by an auto-commentary.
  • It predates Hemacandra's famous Siddha-Hema-Śabdānuśāsana.
  • Jineśvara Sūri notes its considerable length (around seven thousand verses) and its completion in 1024 AD at Jābālipura (Jālor) in Rajasthan.
  • The title "Pañca-granthi-vyākarana" likely suggests the author covered five main topics: saṁjñā, dhātu, gama, uṇādi, and lingānuśāsana.

The Lingānuśāsana of Buddhisāgara Sūri:

• Not an Independent Work: The Lingānuśāsana of Buddhisāgara Sūri is not a standalone treatise like those of Vāmana or Durgasiṁha.
• Inclusion in Pañca-granthi-vyākarana: It is incorporated within the Pañca-granthi-vyākarana, specifically in the initial 38 gāthās (verses) of the second adhyāya (chapter).
• Verse Structure and Numbering: The manuscripts do not have continuous serial numbering. Instead, verses are renumbered de novo after the completion of each gender category.
  • The first 27 verses deal with neuter gender words.
  • The next six verses focus on masculine gender words.
  • The subsequent five verses elaborate on feminine gender words.
  • These groups also include words with dual or triple gender assignments as relevant.
• Influences: The work is largely influenced by Vāmana's work on grammar. Words not covered by Vāmana are drawn from Durgasiṁha's work.
• Manuscript Peculiarities: The manuscripts typically present the topic-wise verses consecutively in a group, followed by the auto-commentary on them in order.

Editorial Process and Challenges (by N. M. Kansara):

• Discovery and Interest: N. M. Kansara's attention was drawn to this grammar by Pt. Dalasukhbhai Malavania. Initially, other scholars considered the manuscripts too corrupt to be decipherable.
• Copied afresh: Kansara undertook the task of copying the manuscript afresh, despite existing partial copies, driven by curiosity and a desire to meet the challenge.
• Overcoming Difficulties:
  • The initial stages of deciphering the text were challenging, described as a "jungle of phrases." Locating the start of the Lingānuśāsana within the second adhyāya provided crucial clarity.
  • Textual Corruption: A significant challenge was determining the correct readings due to highly corrupted manuscripts, stemming from a common origin with repeated scribal errors.
  • Helpful Resources: The Lingānuśāsana works of Vāmana and Durgasiṁha proved helpful, especially when illustrations in the auto-commentary paralleled their substance and sequence.
• Editorial Approach: Following the example of Smt. Vedavati Vyākaraṇopādhyāyā in her edition of Vāmana's Lingānuśāsana, Kansara primarily presents the critical text. Details of variant readings are reserved for a more comprehensive independent edition, which will include comparative notes, an index, and a detailed discussion on the author's life, date, and works.
• Purpose of Publication: Kansara aims to draw the attention of Sanskrit scholars worldwide to this pre-Hemacandra work on lakṣaṇa-śāstra (grammatical science).

Content of the Lingānuśāsana (Illustrative Examples from the Text):

The text then proceeds to list various Sanskrit words and their grammatical genders, often with specific conditions or contexts. The provided excerpt offers a glimpse into the detailed rules and exceptions presented. Key themes and examples include:

• Neuter Gender Rules (Pages 3-10): A significant portion of the Lingānuśāsana is dedicated to identifying words belonging to the neuter gender. This involves rules based on:

  • Endings: Words ending in la, stu, tva, ta, na, ta, etc. (e.g., jalaṁ, mastu, tattvam).
  • Specific Terms: Words like gṛha, tamas, tālu, hṛdayam, bhaṁ.
  • Compound Words: Rules for compounds, including those formed with chāya, sabhā, and those relating to rājārtha and rakṣaḥ.
  • Suffixes: Words formed with suffixes like aṇādi, kṛt, and others.
  • Specific Lists: Extensive lists of words are provided with their assigned genders (e.g., kusumam, śaravaḥ, kuṇḍalaṁ, tailaṁ, tilaḥ, etc.).
  • Contextual Gender: Rules for words whose gender might change based on their meaning or context (e.g., bhūta, padmaḥ).
  • Compound Formations: Rules related to compound words, including those formed from numerals and nouns.

• Masculine Gender Rules (Pages 8-9): Rules for masculine gender, often presented as contrast or exceptions to neuter or feminine gender assignments. Examples include:

  • Words ending in a (e.g., vṛkṣaḥ, ghaṭaḥ).
  • Words with specific suffixes or origins (e.g., anḍa, aṁśuḥ).
  • Names of people, deities, demons, and groups (e.g., pitā, bhrātā, daityaḥ, muniḥ).

• Feminine Gender Rules (Pages 9-10): Rules for feminine gender:

  • Words denoting females or related to femininity (e.g., mātā, svāsā, duhitā).
  • Words formed with specific suffixes or roots.
  • Words denoting plants, rivers, and seasons (e.g., śami, rohiṇī, nadī, varṣāḥ).
  • Rules for numerals in relation to feminine gender.
  • The concept of yoni-matām (those possessing a womb/female reproductive organ) as a basis for feminine gender.

• Dual and Tri-gender Assignment: The text notes that some words can have two or three genders, depending on the context.

Conclusion:

The excerpt concludes with a statement that the Lingānuśāsana is complete, and it highlights the significance of Buddhisāgara Sūri's work as an important contribution to Sanskrit grammar from the Jain tradition, particularly due to its early date and metrical composition.