Siddhi Vinishchay Tika Ka Vaidushya Purna Sampadan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text in English:

This article, "A Scholarly Edition of Anantavirya's Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika: A Review" by Dr. Darbarilal Kothiya, is a critical analysis of the Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika, authored by Acharya Anantavirya, which is an exhaustive commentary on Acharya Akalankadeva's Siddhi Vinishchaya. The review focuses on the scholarly edition of this commentary published by the Bharatiya Jnanpith in 1958, edited by the late Dr. Pt. Mahendrakumar Ji Nyayacharya.

The Original Texts:

• Siddhi Vinishchaya: The root text is the Siddhi Vinishchaya by Acharya Akalankadeva. Like other logical texts by Akalankadeva, it includes his own commentary (svopajnavritti). Both the root text and its commentary are considered extremely difficult and obscure.
• Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika: Acharya Anantavirya wrote a voluminous commentary on both the Siddhi Vinishchaya and its svopajnavritti, titled Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika.

About Acharya Anantavirya:

The article clarifies that there have been multiple Acharyas named Anantavirya in Jain literature. The Anantavirya who wrote the Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika is identified as Brihad Anantavirya (Greater Anantavirya), distinguishing him from another Anantavirya who wrote the Parikshamukha Panjika (also known as Prameyaratanamala) and lived in the 12th century.

Brihad Anantavirya is considered a profound and possibly the earliest commentator of Akalankadeva. His importance is highlighted by the fact that later esteemed scholars like Prabhachandra and Vadinaraj (1025 CE) referred to him with great respect and acknowledged him as their guide.

• Prabhachandra's Testimony: Prabhachandra states that he could grasp Akalankadeva's concise, profound, and difficult methodology only after studying Anantavirya's explanations hundreds of times. This indicates that Anantavirya predates Prabhachandra (11th century) and was a brilliant scholar who illuminated Akalankadeva's obscure style.
• Vadinaraj's Testimony: Vadinaraj, a master of Syadvada, states that he could understand the meaning of Akalankadeva's profound terms only through Anantavirya's "lamp of words." He also venerates Anantavirya as a "cloud of Anantavirya" whose "nectar rain" extinguished the "fire of nihilism" that destroys the world.

Based on these testimonies, Anantavirya is placed before Prabhachandra and Vadinaraj, and possibly contemporary with Vidyananda (775-840 CE), as neither mentions the other.

Anantavirya's Contribution and Style:

Anantavirya's primary focus in his commentary was to fully elucidate the intended meanings of Akalankadeva's words. Unlike Prabhachandra and Vadinaraj, who engaged in extensive philosophical and logical discussions, Anantavirya dedicated himself to explaining Akalankadeva's subtle points. He provides clear and qualified explanations of every word and sentence, often offering two or three interpretations.

Anantavirya is also noted for his refutation of opposing views, particularly those of Prajnakara, the chief commentator of Dharmakirti (a Buddhist logician). Anantavirya names Prajnakara numerous times in his commentary, refuting his arguments and extensively criticizing his Pramanavarttikalankara. The author speculates that Anantavirya's lost Pramanasaṅgraha Bhāṣya might have been a response to Prajnakara's work, given the similarity in names. The article aptly compares Anantavirya's position in Jain literature to Prajnakara's in Buddhist logic, suggesting Anantavirya could be called the "Prajnakara of Jain literature."

Anantavirya's intellectual prowess and scholarship are evident in the profound respect shown by later commentators like Prabhachandra and Vadinaraj, who called him a deep and knowledgeable interpreter of Akalankadeva's works. He chose to comment on Akalankadeva's most complex and obscure texts, Pramanasaṅgraha and Siddhi Vinishchaya, rather than the relatively simpler Nyayavinishchaya and Laghiyastrayavṛtti, demonstrating his exceptional intellect, mental fortitude, and courage. This is why he is referred to as "Brihad Anantavirya."

Anantavirya's Guru Tradition:

Anantavirya mentions his direct guru as Ravibhadra at the end of each section, stating that he is a disciple who relies on his feet. However, no further information is available about Ravibhadra. It is also suggested that Anantavirya might have used this designation to distinguish himself from other scholars named Anantavirya who may have been contemporary or pre-dated him.

Anantavirya's Works:

Anantavirya's known commentaries are:

1. Pramanasaṅgraha Bhāṣya: This work is currently unavailable but is mentioned frequently in the Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika, suggesting it was a significant and extensive commentary.
2. Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika: This is the commentary under review.

History of the Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika's Availability:

The article recounts the interesting and unfortunate history of the Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika's discovery. It was preserved in a Shvetambara Jain manuscript library and later recovered. The text's importance is underscored by its mention in the Nishitha Churni by Jindas Gani Mahattar and the Jitakalpa Churni by Shrichandrasuri, where Akalankadeva's Siddhi Vinishchaya is described as a scripture that enhances philosophical understanding.

Structure and Content of the Tika:

• Anantavirya begins his commentary with a mangalacharan (auspicious invocation), highlighting the rarity of Akalankadeva's words, especially in the current age (Kali Yuga). He expresses his devotion to Akalankadeva's extensive body of work, comparing it to a vast ocean of precious gems.
• The Siddhi Vinishchaya is divided into twelve prastavas (sections), similar to Dharmakirti's pari-ccheda (chapters) in his Pramanavarttika. These sections cover topics like Pratyaksha Siddhi, Savikalpaka Siddhi, Jiva Siddhi, Shastra Siddhi, Sarvajna Siddhi, Shabda Siddhi, Arthanaya Siddhi, Shabdanaya Siddhi, and Nirapeksha Siddhi.
• The root text and its commentary are not integrated as seamlessly as in Prabhachandra's Nyayakumudachandra. Only the initial letters of the karika (verse) and its vṛtti (commentary) are provided as symbols, making it difficult to distinguish between the original text and Anantavirya's commentary. Unfortunately, the original karika and vṛtti parts are not available separately elsewhere, making the task of differentiating them from the Tika a significant challenge, requiring considerable effort.

The Scholarly Edition by Dr. Mahendrakumar Ji Nyayacharya:

The article highly praises the editorial efforts of the late Dr. Pt. Mahendrakumar Ji Nyayacharya.

• He dedicated five years to diligently extracting the root karikas and their commentaries from the Tika.
• The edition is considered a scholarly and qualified publication.
• It includes a significant and extensively researched 164-page introduction that meticulously discusses the author (Anantavirya), the text (Siddhi Vinishchaya Tika), and the editorial methodology.
• The introduction provides a detailed, research-based biographical sketch of Jain logicians. It also sheds light on crucial topics such as pramana (means of knowledge), naya (perspective), nikshepa (classification), sarvajna (omniscient beings), syadvada (doctrine of manifold aspects), anekanta (non-absolutism), and saptabhangi (sevenfold predications).
• The edition is further enriched by prefatory notes from the renowned Indian philosophy expert Dr. Gopinath Kaviraj and the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Sampurnanand.
• The sheer volume of texts consulted during the editing process testifies to the editor's immense effort and scholarship.
• The article concludes by mentioning that the Kashi Hindu University honored Dr. Mahendrakumar Ji Nyayacharya with a Ph.D. for his exceptional scholarly work on this edition.

In essence, the article serves as a tribute to both Acharya Anantavirya's monumental contribution to Jain logic and to the meticulous scholarly endeavor of Dr. Mahendrakumar Ji Nyayacharya in bringing this invaluable commentary to light.