Haribhadracharyasya Samay Nirnay

This document, "Haribhadracharyasya Samay Nirnay" (Determination of the Era of Haribhadra Acharya), is an academic work that aims to precisely determine the historical period of the renowned Jain scholar, Haribhadra Acharya. The text, though presented as a summary, delves into scholarly research and debate surrounding Haribhadra's lifespan.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided pages:

Page 1: Introduction and Significance of Haribhadra Acharya

• The text begins by introducing Haribhadra Acharya as a highly esteemed Jain scholar and philosopher.
• He is lauded for his extensive knowledge, his ability to analyze different philosophical systems with a balanced and gentle approach, and his practice of respectfully mentioning even opposing thinkers.
• The author highlights Haribhadra's significant contribution to Jain literature through numerous profound and extensive works.
• The primary purpose of this essay is stated as the investigation and determination of the period of existence of the first Haribhadra (as there were multiple scholars with this name).
• Haribhadra's broad scholarship, spanning various philosophical schools, is emphasized, noting that his works often discuss and critique the ideas of prominent Indian philosophers from Vedic, Buddhist, and other traditions.
• Determining Haribhadra's period is deemed crucial for understanding the timelines of earlier philosophers mentioned in his works.

Page 2: Early Scholarly Investigations and Debates

• The text traces the early engagement of European scholars with Haribhadra. Professor P. Peterson is credited with the first introduction to Haribhadra in his reports on Sanskrit manuscripts. Peterson mentioned Haribhadra in relation to the Jain scholar Siddharshi, author of the "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha."
• Following Peterson, scholars like J. Khatt, E. Leumann, H. Jacobi, A. Ballini, and N. Mironow also discussed Haribhadra, though with varying degrees of detail and focus.
• Dr. Jacobi is specifically highlighted for raising doubts about the authenticity of earlier references to Haribhadra's period.
• The text mentions a response by Motichand Girdhar Kapadia of Bhavnagar in 1905, which prompted further investigation by Dr. Jacobi. Jacobi's conclusions were published in the English preface to his edited work, "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha."
• Mahamahopadhyaya Satishchandra Vidyabhushan's work, "History of the Medieval School of Indian Logic," is also mentioned. Vidyabhushan presented his views on Haribhadra's period but is criticized for potentially conflating the Haribhadra in question with another scholar of the same name from the 12th century. The author suggests Vidyabhushan lacked sufficient familiarity with the extensive literature attributed to the Haribhadra they are focusing on.
• Dr. Mironow's monograph, "Digambara Nyaya Pravesha and Haribhadra's Commentary on It," is also noted as a relevant contribution.
• Despite Jacobi's efforts in analyzing some evidence and raising doubts, the author feels he did not sufficiently examine all of Haribhadra's works and the internal evidence they contain, thus failing to provide conclusive proof for his own assertions.
• The question of Haribhadra's period remains unresolved, necessitating further investigation based on his writings and external evidence.

Page 3: Haribhadra's Works and Known Affiliations

• The author states that Haribhadra composed numerous works, with many ancient and modern Jain texts attesting to his prolific output. A significant portion of his literary corpus is still available or known in Jain literature.
• A list of prominent and important works attributed to Haribhadra is provided:
  • Avashyak Sutra Hadvritti
  • Dashavaikalik Vruhadvritti
  • Anuyogdwara Sutra Laghuvritti
  • Nandi Sutra Laghuvritti
  • Prajnapana Sutra Padeshavyakhyana
  • Lalitavistara namachaitanya Sutra Vritti
  • Ashtak Prakarana
  • Shodashak Prakarana
  • Panchashak Prakarana
  • Panchavastu Prakarana (with commentary)
  • Panchasutra Prakarana Vritti
  • Shravakgati
  • Dharma Bindu
  • Yoga Bindu
  • Yoga Drishti Samuchchaya
  • Shatdarshana Samuchchaya
  • Shastra Varta Samuchchaya (with commentary)
  • Anekanta Jaya Pataka (with commentary)
  • Anekanta Vada Pravesha
  • Loka Tattva Nirnaya
  • Digambara Kruta Nyaya Pravesha Teeka
  • Dharma Sangrahani Prakarana
  • Upadesha Pada Prakarana
  • Sambodha Prakarana
  • Sambodha Saptati Prakarana
  • Samaraichchakaaha
• Similar to other ancient scholars, Haribhadra did not explicitly mention his own period in his works. However, colophons (Pushpika) found at the end of some of his works reveal his affiliation:
  • His sect was Shvetambara.
  • His lineage (Gachchha) was Vidyadhara.
  • His lineage preceptor was Jinabhadra.
  • His initiation preceptor was Jindatta Suri.
  • His influential spiritual mother and teacher was Aryā Yakini Mahattara.
• A colophon from the Avashyak Sutra Brihadvritti is quoted, confirming these affiliations.
• Ancient and modern texts mention that Haribhadra composed 1400, 1440, or 1442 works.

Page 4: Biographical Accounts and Early Life

• Various biographical accounts of Haribhadra Acharya are found in relatively recent and ancient texts, often in the form of legends.
• Notable among these are:
  • Prabhachandra's "Prabhavak Charitra," which features a ninth chapter dedicated to Haribhadra.
  • Rajasekhara Suri's "Prabandha Kosha" (also known as Chaturvinshati Prabhandha), which also includes a description of Haribhadra's life.
  • The Prakrit work "Kathavali" by the ancient Acharya Bhadresha, which contains a brief life story of Haribhadra.
  • A brief mention in the commentary on "Upadesha Pada" by Muni Chandra Acharya.
  • A limited biographical account in the commentary on the "Ganadhar Shardashataka" by Sumati Mani.
• Based on these accounts, a reliable narrative about Haribhadra's life emerges:
  • He was a highly respected and learned individual from his early life, deeply knowledgeable in all scriptures.
  • He was originally a follower of the Vedanta tradition and a Brahmin.
  • His place of residence was Chitrakuta.
  • He developed profound faith in Jainism after encountering the learned Jain nun, Yakini Mahattara.
  • Under her guidance, he accepted Jain initiation.
  • After adopting the ascetic life, he quickly attained spiritual leadership.
  • He traveled extensively across various regions, propagating the Jain faith and illuminating the Jain teachings through his diverse philosophical writings.
  • He wrote to help less intelligent individuals understand the Jain Agamas, which were originally compiled in Prakrit by earlier learned monks and were difficult to comprehend.

Page 5: The Core Question and Scholarly Methods

• The text reiterates the central question: What are the accounts of Haribhadra's period in Jain texts? What evidence supports or refutes these accounts? What period has been established by scholars like Dr. Jacobi? Is it definitive or questionable?
• The author declares the intention to answer these questions by thoroughly examining Haribhadra's works, relying on internal evidence, and considering all available external evidence.

Page 6: The Crucial Prakrit Gatha and its Interpretation

• The most important piece of evidence for Haribhadra's period is identified as an anonymous Prakrit gatha (verse).
• This gatha is first found in "Prabandha Chintamani" by Acharya Merutunga and also in Merutunga's "Vichara Shreni."
• The gatha states: "पश्चशते पश्चाशीती विक्रमकालात् झटित्यस्तमितः । हरिभद्रपुरेसर्यो भव्यानां दिशतु कल्याणम् ॥" (In the 585th year of the Vikram era, Haribhadra Suri passed away. May he, the foremost of the blessed, bestow auspiciousness upon the beings.)
• This gatha indicates that Haribhadra Suri died in the Vikram year 585.
• This same gatha is quoted in "Pramaya-Saras Prakarana" by Pradyumna Muni and in "Gatha Sahasri" by Samayasundara Gani.
• Based on this gatha's meaning, Kulamandana Suri and Dharmasagara Upadhyaya state in their works that Haribhadra Acharya passed away 550 years after the Nirvana of Mahavira.
• The author notes that this gatha is quoted or its meaning is followed in many other places.

Page 7: Further Evidence and the Jacobi-Haribhadra Relationship

• The gatha is echoed in Muni Sundara Suri's "Guravali."
• Muni Sundara Suri identifies Manadeva Acharya, who occupied the 28th seat in the lineage of disciples of Bhagavan Mahavira, as a contemporary ("friend") of Haribhadra. The period of Manadeva Acharya is generally considered to be the 6th century CE.
• Therefore, according to these authors, Haribhadra's period was the 6th century CE, and his death occurred in Vikram year 585 (529 CE).
• The author then proceeds to examine this established period using supporting and refuting evidence.
• The crucial piece of external evidence that challenges this period is found in the colophon of "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha" by Siddharshi. This tale was completed in the year 962 (CE).
• Siddharshi's colophon explicitly states: "संवत्सरशतनवके द्विषाष्टसहितेऽतिलावते । ज्येष्ठ सितपंचम्यां पुनर्वसागुरुदिने समातिरभूत् ॥" (It was completed in the year 962, on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Jyeshtha, on a Thursday, during the Punarvasu constellation.)
• The author argues that by analyzing the year, month, day, and constellation, and using astrological calculations, this year can be identified as 906 CE (Vikram era).
• Crucially, in the colophon of "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha," Siddharshi praises Haribhadra Acharya as his "Dharmabodhakar Guru" (Guru who imparted religious knowledge). This is supported by verses where Siddharshi expresses gratitude to Haribhadra, even mentioning that Haribhadra composed the commentary on "Lalitavistara" for his benefit.
• This direct mention of Haribhadra as Siddharshi's spiritual preceptor suggests a contemporary relationship between them.

Page 8: Reconciling Siddharshi and Haribhadra: The "Indirect Guru" Argument

• The author argues that the evidence from Siddharshi's work directly contradicts the Prakrit gatha's dating of Haribhadra to the 6th century.
• Dr. Jacobi also accepts this view, suggesting a direct guru-disciple relationship between Siddharshi and Haribhadra and citing internal evidence from Haribhadra's works to support this.
• One such piece of evidence cited is Haribhadra's "Shatdarshana Samuchchaya," where his definition of perception closely resembles that of Dharmakirti, a later Buddhist philosopher. This imitation suggests Haribhadra lived after Dharmakirti, making the 6th-century dating questionable.
• However, the author disagrees with the conclusion of a direct guru-disciple relationship between Siddharshi and Haribhadra. They propose that Siddharshi's reference to Haribhadra as a "Dharmabodhakar Guru" implies an indirect or perceived guru relationship.
• The author's own research suggests that Haribhadra lived in the 8th century CE. This position is supported by further analysis.

Page 9: Haribhadra as Siddharshi's "Indirect Guru" and Dating

• The author argues that Siddharshi's statement about Haribhadra being his "Dharmabodhakar Guru" implies an indirect or ancestral spiritual lineage, not a direct one.
• Siddharshi's own guru is identified as Devasuri, disciple of Marsha.
• The author posits that Haribhadra's commentary on "Lalitavistara" likely dispelled Siddharshi's misapprehensions, leading him to praise Haribhadra as an indirect spiritual guide.
• The critical phrase in Siddharshi's preface is "अनागतम्" (the future/the one who has come in the future), implying Haribhadra, through his foresight, composed the "Lalitavistara" commentary for Siddharshi's benefit.
• This, along with other statements in Siddharshi's work, indicates a temporal gap between them, suggesting Haribhadra preceded Siddharshi. The author concludes that Siddharshi and Haribhadra were not contemporaries.

Page 10: "Kuvalayamala" and the Temporal Gap

• Further evidence challenging the contemporary relationship comes from the Prakrit work "Kuvalayamala" by Udyotana Suri.
• "Kuvalayamala" was completed in the year 699 of the Shaka era (which corresponds to 777 CE).
• In this work, the author Udyotana Suri praises Haribhadra Suri as the author of "Samaraaditya Charita" (which is likely a misattribution, as "Samaraichchakaaha" is attributed to Haribhadra).
• The author notes that the colophon of "Kuvalayamala" clearly indicates a temporal gap of 27 years between its composition and that of "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha" (Siddharshi's work).
• This evidence strongly suggests that Haribhadra could not have been a contemporary of Siddharshi.
• The author's conclusion is that Haribhadra lived in the 8th century CE, specifically between 700 CE and 770 CE, or 757 CE to 827 CE in the Vikram era.

Page 11: Haribhadra and other Philosophers - Santarakshita

• The author continues to establish Haribhadra's timeline by examining his interactions with other philosophers.
• Haribhadra, in his "Shastra Varta Samuchchaya," discusses the Buddhist philosopher Santarakshita, who was known for his subtle intellect. Haribhadra critiques Santarakshita's views on the creation of non-existent things.
• This critique implies that Haribhadra lived during or after Santarakshita's time.
• Scholars like S.C. Vidyabhushan place Santarakshita around the 8th century CE (circa 749 CE).
• If Vidyabhushan's dating is correct, then Haribhadra and Santarakshita were contemporaries.
• The author addresses a potential counterargument: If they were contemporaries, how could Haribhadra critique Santarakshita's work so directly? The author explains that in ancient times, without modern communication tools, scholars could still become aware of and critique the works of living contemporaries through diligent study and scholarly exchange. The dissemination of texts was slower but not impossible.

Page 12: Haribhadra and other Philosophers - Dharmottara and Mallavadi

• Dharmottara: Haribhadra wrote a commentary on Dignaga's "Nyaya Pravesha." In this commentary, while explaining the term "anumana" (inference), Haribhadra quotes a sutra about inference. A commentator on Haribhadra's work notes that this sutra is not from Dignaga but from Dharmottara.
  • This raises the question of who this Dharmottara was and his period.
  • The well-known Dharmottara is the commentator on Dharmakirti's "Nyaya Bindu," whose period is generally placed around 847 CE. If this Dharmottara is the same, it would place Haribhadra later than him, creating a contradiction.
  • The author suggests the Dharmottara mentioned by Haribhadra might be a different, earlier Dharmottara, known as "Vriddha Dharmottara" (Elder Dharmottara).
  • Evidence for two Dharmottaras comes from Vadideva Suri's "Syadvada Ratnakara," which discusses the philosophical views of both an earlier and a later Dharmottara. The later one is the commentator on Dharmakirti.
  • If Haribhadra referred to the earlier "Vriddha Dharmottara," it would fit within the author's proposed 8th-century timeline.
• Mallavadi: Haribhadra mentions Mallavadi, a renowned Jain logician and author of "Sammatitika," in his works. Mallavadi is generally considered a 4th-century CE philosopher.
  • However, the author also points out that the commentator on Dharmottara's "Nyaya Bindu" commentary is also named Mallavadi.
  • If this commentator Mallavadi is the same as the author of "Sammatitika," it would imply a 4th-century Mallavadi was contemporary with an 8th-century Dharmottara and a 7th-century Haribhadra, which is unlikely.
  • The author concludes that there were likely two Mallavadis: the earlier Jain logician and a later commentator on Dharmottara's work. The commentator Mallavadi, being a commentator on Dharmottara, would be later than the 4th-century Mallavadi and potentially contemporary with Haribhadra.

Page 13: Haribhadra and Shankaracharya

• The author then explores the relationship between Haribhadra and Shankaracharya, the proponent of Advaita Vedanta.
• The period of Shankaracharya is highly debated among scholars, with estimates ranging from the 1st century CE to the 8th century CE.
• The author's conclusion is that Shankaracharya was later than Haribhadra, not earlier.
• This is based on the fact that Haribhadra, in his extensive works, discusses and critiques numerous philosophers but never mentions Shankaracharya. If Shankaracharya, a significant philosopher, had lived before Haribhadra, Haribhadra would likely have engaged with his ideas, especially given Shankaracharya's critique of Jainism's "Anekanta Vada" (Syadvada) in his "Brahmasutra Bhashya."
• Haribhadra's work "Anekanta Jaya Pataka" specifically aims to refute criticisms of Anekanta Vada. The absence of any mention of Shankaracharya's critique in this context suggests Shankaracharya lived later.
• Furthermore, Haribhadra's works show his commentary on the Brahma-Advaita (monism of Brahman) without any indication of following or discussing Shankaracharya's specific interpretations.
• The author tentatively accepts the dating of Shankaracharya between 788-820 CE by K.P. Pathak, rather than the 688-720 CE proposed by B.G. Tilak, as it aligns better with the author's own findings regarding Haribhadra.

Overall Conclusion (Implied and Stated):

The central argument woven through these pages is that the established date for Haribhadra Acharya in the 6th century CE, based on the Prakrit gatha, is incorrect. The author meticulously presents evidence from internal and external sources, primarily focusing on:

1. Siddharshi's "Upamitibhavaprapanchakatha": Indicating Haribhadra as Siddharshi's (indirect) guru and placing him significantly later than the 6th century.
2. Udyotana Suri's "Kuvalayamala": Demonstrating a temporal gap between Udyotana Suri (777 CE) and Haribhadra, further supporting a later dating.
3. Haribhadra's engagement with other philosophers: His critiques of Santarakshita (8th century CE), his mention of Dharmottara (possibly two, one earlier), and his lack of mention of Shankaracharya (likely 8th century CE) all point towards Haribhadra belonging to the 8th century CE.

The author aims to definitively establish Haribhadra's period in the 8th century CE by systematically refuting earlier theories and presenting new evidence and interpretations.