DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53502#0019
Introduction
11
to starve himself to death like a true Jaina saint.1 2
Whatever may be thought of the historical value of
these statements, they prove the existence of an early
tradition connecting K. with the Jaina religion.
Varahamihira and the medical Samhitas may be
fitly compared with the A. Thus Brhatsamhita
(LXXVIII, i) contains nearly the same list of princes
killed in their harem as the A. (I 20) and Caraka at
the end of his work (VIII, 12) refers to 35 Tantra-
yuktis or special devices used in it, against the 32
Tantrayuktis mentioned at the close of the A. (XV, 1).
Of commentators giving citations of the A., some
such as the ancient commentators of the Code of M.
have been briefly mentioned before. It deserves to be
noted that Medhatithi, the earlist of these, in comment-
ing on M. VII, 48 defines Niti as the systemor book com-
posed by Caijakya and other (Canakyadigranthah),eviden-
tly regarding the A. as the basis of polity. In comment-
ing on M. VII, 191. 205, Medhatithi adduces two passages
from a work called Samanatantra which may be traced
to the A. (X, 5, 64 and VI, 2, 7). That title, though
hitherto not known to occur elsewhere, furnishes, a
very suitable designation for the A., in which the
phrase samanam purve^a or samanam “ the same as
before ” in the sense of et caetera is of frequent occur-
rence. It is from this peculiarity evidently that the
A. was surnamed Samanatantra. Medhatithi has be-
sides referred to the A. or rather its second part as
Adhyak§apracara (VII. 61. 81) and has embodied
several long passages from it in his commentary (VII,
53. 54. 104) without naming their source. Of other
1 Sthaviravalicarita, ed. by Jacobi, VIII, 194 foil.
2 ZMDG. IXVII, 49, 96.
11
to starve himself to death like a true Jaina saint.1 2
Whatever may be thought of the historical value of
these statements, they prove the existence of an early
tradition connecting K. with the Jaina religion.
Varahamihira and the medical Samhitas may be
fitly compared with the A. Thus Brhatsamhita
(LXXVIII, i) contains nearly the same list of princes
killed in their harem as the A. (I 20) and Caraka at
the end of his work (VIII, 12) refers to 35 Tantra-
yuktis or special devices used in it, against the 32
Tantrayuktis mentioned at the close of the A. (XV, 1).
Of commentators giving citations of the A., some
such as the ancient commentators of the Code of M.
have been briefly mentioned before. It deserves to be
noted that Medhatithi, the earlist of these, in comment-
ing on M. VII, 48 defines Niti as the systemor book com-
posed by Caijakya and other (Canakyadigranthah),eviden-
tly regarding the A. as the basis of polity. In comment-
ing on M. VII, 191. 205, Medhatithi adduces two passages
from a work called Samanatantra which may be traced
to the A. (X, 5, 64 and VI, 2, 7). That title, though
hitherto not known to occur elsewhere, furnishes, a
very suitable designation for the A., in which the
phrase samanam purve^a or samanam “ the same as
before ” in the sense of et caetera is of frequent occur-
rence. It is from this peculiarity evidently that the
A. was surnamed Samanatantra. Medhatithi has be-
sides referred to the A. or rather its second part as
Adhyak§apracara (VII. 61. 81) and has embodied
several long passages from it in his commentary (VII,
53. 54. 104) without naming their source. Of other
1 Sthaviravalicarita, ed. by Jacobi, VIII, 194 foil.
2 ZMDG. IXVII, 49, 96.