INTRODUCTION xxi commentary on his Sabdanuśasana by Abhinavaśākaṭāyana, which was written between A.D. 814 and 867.¹ K. G. Oka also contends that Amara lived before Candragomin's Vyakaraṇa from which the grammarian Vasurata (A.D. 480) 2 is said to have learnt his grammar. 'A justifiable inference from this (II. 4. 23) and many other sutra-s is that Candra's grammar was not prior to Amarasimha when he wrote his work.' 3 As Keith remarks, the lower limit of his date is dubious, but we have the upper limit in Gunarāta's Chinese translation in the 6th cent. and we may not be wrong if we assign him to the 4th cent. A.D. Amara has been considered a Buddhist and that may be the reason for the translation of the Ak. into Chinese by Gunarāta. Svāmin is of the view that the first verse in the Ak., 'yasya jñanadayasindhoh..' has been set forth as the mangalaśloka, paying homage to Jina, for the purpose of fulfilling the desire to complete the work without impedi- ments.5 Sarvananda states that though the salutation is not made to the Buddha expressly the epithet jñanadayasindhuḥ is intended to denote the characteristics of Sakyamuni, i.e. the Buddha. He further suggests that the name of the Buddha has not been mentioned as the author was apprehen- sive of neglect of his work by orthodox Hindus who disliked the Buddhist heretics.7 It is no doubt difficult to disregard the traditional view as propounded by these ancient commentators; but this 1 V. Raghavan, ed. NCC, vol. I (rev.), p. 307. 2 S. K. Belvalkar, Systems of Skt. Grammar, p. 58. 3 Ak., Oka's ed., p. 8. Keith, History of Skt. Literature, p. 413. 5 इत्थं ग्रन्थारम्भेऽभीप्सितसिद्धि हेतुं जिनमनुस्मृत्याह । AK, Poona 1941, p. 2. 6 'अत्र चानुक्तोऽपि शाक्यलक्षणार्थो ज्ञानदयादिभिः स्पष्टं प्रतीयते । AK., TSS 38, I, p. 2. 7 बौद्धदर्शनविद्वेषिण इह प्रवृत्तिर्न स्यादित्यतोऽत्र बुद्धपदोपादानं न कृतं कविना । ibid., p. 3.
