Panchsutra Na Karta Kon Chirantanacharya Ke Haribhadra Acharya - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Who is the Author of Panchsutra: Chirantanacharya or Acharya Haribhadra?" by Shilchandrasuri, in English:

The article by Acharya Shilchandrasuri addresses the long-standing debate regarding the authorship of the Panchsutra, a highly revered Jain text among ascetics. Known for its profound spiritual and philosophical insights on soul purification and mental cleansing, the Panchsutra, despite its brevity, enjoys immense popularity. It is accompanied by a concise yet insightful commentary by Acharya Haribhadrasuri.

The central mystery surrounding the Panchsutra is its author, who remains unknown even to this day. Traditionally, it is attributed to a "Chirantanacharya," meaning an ancient or timeless acharya. However, the interpretation of "Chirantanacharya" has been twofold: either a composition by an ancient acharya, or a work by an acharya specifically named "Chirantan." The former interpretation is more widely accepted.

The author then presents the views of several scholars who have examined the authorship:

Prof. V.M. Shah suggests that "Chirantanacharya" likely refers to ancient preceptors, as attributing individual authorship to such works is difficult. He also notes that the term "sutras" might have been compiled by Haribhadrasuri.
W. Schubring considers the Panchsutra to be a small, elegant treatise by an unknown old writer.
W. Simon argues that individual authorship is impossible to ascertain for works like the Panchsutra, stating that its core content is as old as Jainism itself, preserved as a literary heirloom.
Dr. V.M. Kulkarni points out that the language of the Panchsutra is Ardhamāgadhi prose, distinct from Haribhadrasuri's known Prakrit works (Jaina Maharashtri). This suggests Haribhadrasuri might not be the author, and that the author might have remained anonymous, considering the content as the property of the entire Jain Sangha. Kulkarni speculates the work could have been composed about a century before Haribhadrasuri.

All four scholars agree that Acharya Haribhadrasuri is not the author of the Panchsutra, or at least they express doubts. Muni Shri Jambuvijayji, while acknowledging the possibility of Haribhadrasuri's authorship, refrains from making a definitive statement due to the lack of clear evidence, adhering to the tradition of attributing it to a "Chirantanacharya."

Acharya Shilchandrasuri's Counter-Argument:

The author strongly asserts that Acharya Haribhadrasuri himself is the author of the Panchsutra and presents several arguments to support this claim:

The Closing Remarks of the Commentary: The commentary concludes with three sentences. The third sentence, "समाप्तं पञ्चसूत्रकं व्याख्यानतोऽपि" (The Panchsutra is finished, even in its commentary), is crucial. The inclusion of "apī" (also/even) suggests that the work is complete in its sutra form and also as a commentary. If the commentator and the sutra author were different, the phrasing would likely be "समाप्ता पञ्चसूत्रकटीका" (The commentary of Panchsutra is finished). The phrasing implies that the author is completing both the original text and its commentary. Furthermore, a separate sentence "पञ्चसूत्रकटीका समाप्ता" (The Panchsutra commentary is finished) also exists, further reinforcing the idea of a single author.
The Term "Panchsutrak": The original sutras use the term "Panchsuttam" (Panchsutra), indicating the compound nature of the text. However, the commentator consistently refers to the work as "Panchsutrak." The author argues that a great commentator like Haribhadrasuri would not take such liberties with the original wording unless he himself was the author and had the freedom to name his own work "Panchsutrak" in the commentary.
The Concluding Sentiments: After the closing remarks, the commentator adds a series of devotional sentences, including "Sarve sattvah sukhinahantu" (May all beings be happy) repeated thrice. The author notes that commentators traditionally only explain the author's words, not add their own personal sentiments. Haribhadrasuri himself did not do this in his own commentaries on other works. The style and sentiment of these concluding sentences in the Panchsutra commentary closely resemble the style and sentiment found in the original sutras, suggesting the same author.
Yashovijayji's Reference: The learned logician Mahopadhyaya Yashovijayji, in his work Dharmapariksha, refers to the Panchsutra as being stated by "Acharya Haribhadrasuri" in the context of the "Papapratighatgunbijadhanasutra." The absence of the word "vrittau" (in the commentary) in his reference is significant, implying that Yashovijayji had direct tradition or evidence that the Panchsutra itself was a composition of Haribhadrasuri.
Naming Conventions: Works with titles like Panchvastuk, Panchsutrak, Ashtak, Shodashak, Vishika, Panchashak are characteristic of Acharya Haribhadrasuri. Other authors typically used the name "Panchsutra" or "Panchasutri." The use of "Panchsutrak" specifically points to Haribhadrasuri.
Linguistic and Thematic Similarities: The author provides extensive examples of striking parallels in vocabulary, phrasing, and thematic content between the Panchsutra and other known works of Haribhadrasuri, such as Vimshativishika, Dharmabindu, Yogadrishtisamuchchaya, and Shodashak. These include specific terms, philosophical concepts, and even grammatical structures, strongly suggesting a common author. For instance, the discussion on "didriksha" (desire to see) in the Panchsutra closely matches its usage in other Haribhadrasuri texts. The use of the word "samtam" in the Panchsutra is also found in Vimshatikavishika.
Language Analysis: While some scholars argue that the Panchsutra's language is Ardhamāgadhi and not Jaina Maharashtri (Haribhadra's usual language), the author refutes this by pointing out commonalities in Sanskrit-influenced Prakrit in both the Panchsutra and Haribhadra's other works. The author also dismisses the argument that because Haribhadra used different languages and styles in other works, the Panchsutra cannot be his. The author argues that an author can indeed use various languages and styles.
The "Chirantanacharya" Misconception: The author questions how Haribhadrasuri, a prominent scholar, would not know of a "Chirantanacharya" who lived only about 100 years prior. This suggests that the label "Chirantanacharya" likely arose later due to a misunderstanding.
Origin of the Misconception: The author traces the origin of the confusion to the 15th century, when a list of Jain texts, Brihattipsnika, might have mistakenly attributed the Panchsutra to an unknown author while noting its commentary as "Haribhadri." Later, manuscripts from the 17th century started explicitly mentioning "Chirantanacharya" as the author and Haribhadrasuri as the commentator, solidifying the misconception. The concluding remark in some manuscripts, "Kritam Chirantanacharyaih vivritam cha Yakini-mahattara-sunu Shri Haribhadrasuribhih" (Composed by Chirantanacharya, commented upon by the son of Yakini Mahattara, Shri Haribhadrasuri), directly led to this confusion.
The "Bhavaviraha" Argument: The absence of the word "Bhavaviraha" (cessation of worldly existence) at the end of the Panchsutra, a common closing for Haribhadrasuri's works, was used to argue against his authorship. However, the author explains that the sentiment is conveyed through the word "Nihshreyasa" (liberation), which is a synonym.
Attribution in Ancient Lists: Ancient lists of Haribhadrasuri's works, such as the one by Sumatigani (13th century) and Padmamandiragani (17th century), clearly include "Panchsutrak" among his compositions, indicating no dissent regarding his authorship until perhaps the 17th century.

Conclusion:

Based on extensive internal and external evidence, including linguistic similarities, thematic parallels, textual analysis of the commentary, and historical attributions, Acharya Shilchandrasuri concludes that Acharya Haribhadrasuri is indeed the original author of the Panchsutra. The traditional attribution to "Chirantanacharya" is seen as a later misconception. The author speculates that the Panchsutra might be one of Haribhadrasuri's later works, possibly written in his old age, representing a distilled essence of his lifelong spiritual journey and studies. The inclusion of Panchsutra in the list of works by Haribhadrasuri is considered a fortunate and significant discovery.