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The Ālokā of Haribhadra and the Sāratamā of Ratnākaraśānti: a Comparative Study of the Two Commentaries of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Padmanabh S. Jaini
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Extract

Of the several commentaries on the Aṣṭasāhasrikā-prajñā-pāramitā-sūtra, the Abhisamayālaṅkāra-ālokā of Haribhadra (ninth century) and the Sāratamā of Ratnākaraśānti (eleventh century) are the only two works that have survived in the original Sanskrit. The Ālokā is well known through the editions of Tucci and Wogihara, and critical works in this field by Obermiller and Conze. The Sanskrit text of the Sāratamā is now awaiting publication in the Tibetan Sanskrit Works Series, Patna. It is based on two incomplete MSS photographed by the late Rāhula Sāṃkṛtyāyana in the year 1937 and preserved in the library of the Bihar Research Society, Patna.

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Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , June 1972 , pp. 271 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1972

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References

2 History of Buddhism, translated by Obermiller, E. E., Heidelberg, 1931–1932, I, p. 31 and n. 284Google Scholar.

3 Geschichte des Buddhismus in Indien, translated by von Schiefner, F. A., St. Petersburg, 1869Google Scholar.

4 Conze, E., The Prajñāpāramitā literature (Indo-Iranian Monographs, VI), 's-Gravenhage, 1960, 113Google Scholar.

5 Several other works on the doctrine of the citta-mātra, and in the field of Tantra are ascribed to Ratnākaraśānti and survive in the Tibetan translation. Professor Alex Wayman informs me that the following works are included in the citta-mātra section of the Tibetan Tanjur: ‘The Madhyamakālaṅkāravṛttimadhyamapratipadāsiddhi-nāma, two little works both entitled Prajñāpāramitābhāvanopadeśa, the Prajñāpāramitopadeśa, and the Madhyamakālaṅkāropadeśa, five in all. He has also written three commentaries on the Guhyasamāja-tantra and has composed a number of lesser Tantric commentaries and works, such as the Khasmāna-nāma-ṭikā, the Abhiṣekanirukti, and a number of sādhanas’.

6 Henceforth referred to as Aa. or Śāstra.

7 We have used Wogihara's edition of this text together with the Ālokā (Abhisamayālaṃkār'-ālokā-prajñāpāramitāvyākhyā (Toyo Bunko Publications, Ser. D, II), 2 vols., Tokyo, 1932–1935Google Scholar). Henceforth indicated by W.

8 tattv'āloka-vidhāyinī viracitā sat-pañjikeyaṃ mayā// (W, 994.)

9 It should be noted here that Ratnākaraśānti refers to Vimuktisena in the introductory verses of his Śuddhimatī. I am indebted to Professor Alex Wayman for this information and for the following translation of the Tibetan verses.

‘The Abhisamayālaṅkāra of the gentle Mother, was composed by Ārya Maitreya. The Śuddhimatī

commentary of mine was written by myself, Ratnākara.

Thinking that Vimuktisena had not completely

explicated the meaning of the extended Mother

(= prajñāpāramitā), it was understood by me according

to the Prakaraṇa in the manner of discourse’.

10 This is the last parivarta of the original version of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā as opposed to the 32 parivartas of the extant version. See Conze, , The Prajñāpāramitā literature, 15Google Scholar.

11 evam eva Kārikā-śāstra-prāmāṇyād bhāvādhyāhārādipadādibhir abhisamaya-kramānurūpo granthārtho vācyaḥ. tataś ca kenacid Abhisamayālaṅkāra-kārikā-pāṭhaṃ, bāhulyenānyathā kṛtvā pratibhātu te Subhūta ity-ādi vākyam ārabhyāsyā Mātur yad asambaddhaṃ samyak-samudāyāvayavārthānabhidhānād vyākhyānaṃ kṛtaṃ tat sanla eva jñātum arhantīti nopanyasya nirākṛtaṃ (W, 925–6).

12 Conze's translation, Abhisamayālaṅkara (Serie Orientale Roma, VI), Rome, 1954Google Scholar.

13 ‘(Finally one considers) the one who experiences it in the seven aspects in which (the dharmas which constitute him and his training) resemble (a dream, a magical illusion, a mirage, an echo, a reflex, a city of the gandharvas, a fictitious magical creation)’ (Conze, , Abhisamayālaṅkāra, 46)Google Scholar.

14 …hetuvirahād akāraka-khyātyā…bhāvā jñātā bhavantīty evaṃ Pañcaviṃśatisáhasrikāyām uktaṃ. atra tu saṃkṣsepasya vivakṣitaivāt pratiśrutkopamāḥ sarva-dharmā iti vacanena madhyamasya nirdeśād ādy-anta-trika-nirdeśa iti pratipattavyaṃ (W, 431).

15 akṣayākāratāyāṃ ca sarāgādau pravistṛte/ mahadgate 'pramāṇe ca vijñāne cānidarśane// (Aa. IV, 15.)

16 ‘akṣayākāratāyāñ ca’ iti kṣayapāṭho Mahatyau prati. imāṃ tu prati ‘ameyākṣayatāyāñca’ iti pāṭhaḥ. asyāṃ hi paṭhyate ‘aprameyākṣayāni cittāni’ iti.

17 W, 541.

18 samatā-dvāreṇa prayogo bhāvanīya iti samatām āha sa ca tān na manyata ity ādinā. tatra samāhitena cittena tān na manyate yato na samanupaśyati. te ca dharmā na vidyante yato na saṃdṛśyante, samāhitena manasā na jānāti yato na saṃjānīte, te ca dharmās taj-jñāna-gamyā na saṃvidyante yato nopalabhyanta iti yojyaṃ (W, 432).

19 tad evaṃ rūpādipadārthamananā-nīlādinimittamananā-rūpadvidhāviṃśatidhetyādiprapañcamananā-nirvedhabhāgīyādyadhigamamananānāṃ pratiṣedhena jñātrjñeyadharmānupalabdhiś caturdhoktā vijñeyā (W, 432).

20 sāmānyena śuddhim evam abhidhīya viśeṣeṇāha: punar aparam ity ādi. sarvajñatāviśuddhir iti trisarvajñatāviśuddhir ity arthaḥ…mārgajñatādhikāre viśuddhikathanaprasaṅgāt ātyantikīcetarā ca tathāgatānāṃ śrāvakādināṃ ca yathākramaṃ viśuddhiḥ kathitā (W, 408).

21 viśuddhibhedāś catvāro Mahatyor bhagavatyor uktāḥ sarvasaṅgrahārtham, asyāṃ tu noktā bodhisattvamārgādhikārāt…sarvajñateti sarvākārajñatā…(parivarta 8).

22 gambhīrā…atyantānupapattir iti…nava-padārthāni yathākramaṃ mṛdumṛdvādi navaprakāra-bhāvanā-mārgatvena vācyāni… (W, 409).

23 āha/ aprāptir anabhisamayo Bhagavan prajñāpāramitā/ (W, 409).

24 sarvajñateti sarvākārajñatā. tasyā viśuddhir dvividhā. yā skandhānām ekaśo viśuddhiḥ, pāramitānāṃ ca sā sarvākārajñatāviśuddhiḥ. yā ca tasyāḥ sā teṣām ity ekā sarvākārajñatāviśuddhiḥ.…sarvam etad abhinnam acchinnam iti dvitīyā sarvākārajñatāviśuddhiḥ. yad asyāṃ na paṭhyate upalakṣaṇatvāt tad grāhyam iti mṛdumṛdumārgo madhyamadhyaś ca (parivarta 8).

25 tridhātupratipakṣatvaṃ samatā mānameyayoḥ/ (Aa. II, 31ab).

26 ‘the going-forth which has the mark of (leading to) the attainment (of the achievements open to all the three vehicles)’ (Conze, , Abhisamayālaṅkāra, 29Google Scholar).

27 uddeśe samatāyāṃ ca sattvārthe yatnavarjane/

atyantāya ca niryāṇaṃ niryāṇaṃ prāptilakṣaṇaṃ/ / (Aa. I, 72.)

sarvākārajñatāyāṃ, ca niryāṇaṃ mārgagocaraṃ/

niryāṇapratipaj jñeyā seyam aṣṭavidhātmikā/ / (Aa. I, 73.)

28 tac ca prāpti-niryāṇaṃ prāpya-prāpaka-tadubhaya-sambandha-pratiṣedhalakṣaṇam ataḥ …āha…rūpāparyantatayety ādi.

dharma-dhātu-vinirmukto yasmād dharmo na vidyata/

iti nyāyād dharmadhātuvat tat-svabhāvībhūtānāṃ yasmād rūpādīnām aparyantatayā rūpādīnām aparyantatā. tasmād bodhisattvaṃ nopaitīti bhāvaḥ (W, 109–10).

29 atra śikṣitvety ādinā prāpti-niryāṇaṃ prastauti…prāpti-niryāṇam adhikṛtya tasyāṃ prāptau dvādaśaviśeṣān dvādaśabhir vākyair āha…(parivarta 1).

30 evaṃ tāvat pañcabhir vākyair dharma-nairātmyamukhena nāmadheyamukhena ca kalpitasya prāptiḥ pratiṣiddhā. pudgala-nairātmyamukhenāpi tat pratiṣedhāya ṣaṣṭhaṃ coktaṃ…paratantrasvabhāvam adhikṛtya saptamaṃ, coktaṃ…aṣṭamād ūrdhvaṃ trīṇi vākyāni pariniṣpannaṃ svabhāvam adhikṛtya…(parivarta 1).

31 yady evaṃ nyāyenāsvabhāvatve sarva-dharmāṇāṃ katamat tad rūpam ity āśaṅkyāha: yad ity ādi. yasmād anabhinirvṛttaṃ tasmād yad grāhya-grāhaka-bhāva-vigataṃ tattvena tad avicāraikamanoharaṃ saṃvṛtyā rūpaṃ (W, 112).

32 It may be noted that Wogihara's edition (both of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā and of the Ālokā) does not report a variant reading for the word asvabhāvānām.

33 paratantra-svabhāvam adhikṛtya saptamaṃ coktaṃ: evam abhāva-svabhāvāḥ sarvadharmāḥ iti. kuta etat? yato Mahatyor bhagavatyor dvādaśabhir vākyair uddeśah Subhūtinā kṛte tata eṣáṃ dvādaśānāṃ abhidhāna-kāraṇa-praśneṣu Śāriputreṇa kṛteṣu sthavira-Subhūtiḥ kāraṇāni krameṇna bruvāṇaḥ saptama-sthānakena kāraṇena ‘abhāva-svabhāvāḥ, sarvadharmāḥ’ iti praśnam anudyābhāva-svabhāvatāyāṃ kāraṇam uktvā ‘anena paryāyeṇa Śāriputra, abhāva-svabhāvāḥ sarvadharmāh.’ ity upasaṃhāraṃ kṛtavān. tata eṣa pāṭhaḥ pratīyate. (parivarta 1). Cf. Pañcaviṃśatio, p. 252.

34 Subhūteḥ praśnānuvādakāraṇākhyānatadupasaṃhārā. iha jñāpakā na tūddeśaḥ. uddeśe ‘pi saptamavākyasya prāyeṇa pāṭhabhraṃśāt. yataḥ saptamavākye trayo viplavāḥ kālena jātāḥ. uttareṇa granthena sahikavākyatā prathamo viplavah. ekavākyatārthe prathamāṃ vibhaktimapanīya ṣaṣṭhīvibhaktiḥ kṛteti dvitīyo viplavaḥ. abhāva-svabhāvatāṃ. cāpanīya asvabhāvatā paṭhiteti tṛtīyo viplavaḥ. arthaṃ, brūmaḥ.…(parivarta 1).

35 Although a Mādhyamika, Haribhadra gives due recognition to the tri-svabhāva doctrine, as can be seen from the following comment on the sūtra passage: evaṃ hi…ādikarmiko bodhisattvaḥ anupūrveṇa prajñāpāramitāyām avatārayitavyaḥ: anupūrveṇety ādāv ātmādinirākaraṇena bāhye 'rthe pratiṣṭhāpya, paścāt kalpita-paratantra-pariniṣpanna-svabhāvakathanena traidhātukacittamātrāvagame niyojya, tadanu samyagarthakriyāsu yogyam ayogyaṃ, tathyātathyabhedena saṃvṛtisatyadvayam, avicāraikaramya-pūrvapūrva-svakāraṇādhīnaṃ nirdiśya, tathya-saṃvṛtau sthitvā yathādarśanaṃ māyāpuruṣeṇeva dānādy ācaritavyaṃ, paramārthato 'nutpādaś ca bhāvayitavyah. ity evaṃ krameṇa prajñāpāramitāyām avatārayitavyaḥ (W, 594).

36 kāraṇasaṃnidhiḥ saṃyogaḥ. tasmin saty eva bhavatīti sāṃyogikaḥ. sāṃyogiko yaḥ svabhāvaḥ so 'bhāvaḥ kāraṇaviyoge saty abhāvāt. api ca yaḥ pratīyasamutpannaḥ so 'nityatvāt paścāabhāvaḥ. na ca vidyamānasya paścād-abhāvo ghaṭate virodhāt. tasmād ekakṣana eva yo bhāvaḥ sa ekakṣaṇāntareṣv abhāvaḥ. tasmād abhāva eṣāṃ svabhāvaḥ. kiñca, yad anityaṃ tat duḥkhaṃ, duḥkhaṃ ca prahātavyaṃ. tato 'py abhāvasvabhāva eṣāṃ.

37 tasmāt paratantreṇāpi svabhāvena bodhisattvo na prāpnotīti saptamasyārthaḥ (parivarta 1).

38 asyāṃ, tu Bhagavatyāṃ, grāhyatāpi kalpitasya pratiṣiddhā bālagrāhyatvāt tasya. aṣṭtamād ūrdhvaṃ, trīṇi vākyāni pariniṣpannaṃ svabhāvam adhikṛtya evam ity ādi. evam iti kalpitena svabhāvena. eteṣām iti paratantrarūpāṇāṃ yā asvabhāvatā śūnyatā sā 'nabhinirvṛttir iti sa pariniṣpannasvabhāva ity arthaḥ (ibid).

39 sarvākārajñatāyāṃ ca niryāṇaṃ…/ (Aa. I, 73.) ‘the going-forth (which leads to) the knowledge of all modes (peculiar to a Buddha)’ (Conze, , Abhisamayālaṅkāra, 29)Google Scholar.

40 yady āyuṣman Subhūte bodhisattvo 'py anutpādo…sarvajñatā 'py anutpadah…nanvāyuṣman Subhūte anuprāptaivāyatnena bodhisattvena…sarvajñatā bhavati… (W, 120). Cf. Pañcaviṃśatio, 259.

41 nāpy anutpannena dharmeṇānutpannā prāptiḥ prāpyate (W, 121).

42 tasmāt sādhūktaṃ nāpy anutpannena dharmeṇānutpannā prāptiḥ prāpyata iti yuktaḥ prāptivikalpapratiṣedhaḥ. tasmāt sarvadharmāṇāṃ paramārtho dharmadhātuḥ. sa ca prakṛtiprabhāsvaratvād anādinidhanatvāc ca na prāpyate nāpi prāpnoti, kevalaṃ draṣṭavyaḥ. yat tasya darśanaṃ saiva kalpitānām. sarvadharmāṇām anupalabdhiḥ. saiva niratiśayā prajñāpāramitā…tataḥ prakṛtiprabhāsvaro 'pi bodhisattvākhyo dharmadhātur āgantukair āvaraṇamalair malinikṛtaḥ. tena teṣāṃ kṣaye sati tatra kṣayalakṣaṇā viśuddhir apūrvatvāt prāpyate. tad yathā prakṛtyā viśvddham ākāśam āgantukair dhūmādibhir āvaraṇamalair malinīkriyate. paścāt tad apāye…viśuddhis tena prāpyate. sarvavibhramanivṛttau ca suviśuddhasarvadharmadharmatājñānalakṣaṇā sarvākārajñatā yā 'pūrvatvāt bodhisattvena labhyate. saiva tasyā viśuddher ātmabhūtāyāḥ saṃvedanāprāptyabhisamayaḥ saṃpadyata iti siddhāntaḥ (parivarta 1).

43 tattvena prāpyaprāpakayor asattvāt kuto 'yatnena prāptiḥ. samvṛtyā 'pi…kathaṃ prāptiḥ…atyantaṃ pratibhātīty apagataśāśvatoccheda-rūpaṃ pratibhāsate (W, 121–3).

44 ‘The sublime science of the great vehicle to salvation’, Acta Orientalia, IX, 2–3, 1931, p. 103, n. 4Google Scholar.

45 See W, 133–4.

46 śrāvakair api bodhipariṇatikaiḥ samyaksambodhau cittasyotpādanāt. te hi svāṃ, bodhim adhigamyāpi buddha-bodhisattvānāṃ lokottarāṃ vibhūtiṃ dṛṣṭtvā vañcitam ivātmānaṃ manyamānās tathāgatair adhiṣthitās tad bodhau cittam utpādyācalyabhūmikabodhisattvavan nirmitābhir upapattibhir bodhicaryāṃ caritvā parāṃ bodhim adhigacchantīti vyāptiḥ (parivarta 1).

47 nānā-naya-vādinas tv ārya-Asaṅga-pādās tan matānusāriṇaś cānyathā vyācakṣate… (W, 134).