आचार्यमोक्षाकरगुप्तविरचिता तर्कभाषा: Tarkabhasa of Acarya Moksakaragupta

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The Tarkabhāṣā (Language of Logic) is one of the finest later works on Buddhist logic composed by Acarya Mokṣakaragupta, the great scholar of the Jagaddala Vihara of Varendri. His dates are fixed between 1050-1202 by modern scholars on the basis of such literary evidence as Syādvādamañjarī, in which our author has been cited several times. The author of Syadvadamañjarī, Mallisena states in the colophon of the said work that he completed it in 1214 Saka era i.e. 1292 A.D.

Acarya Mokṣakaragupta wrote this work in order to understand Acarya Dharmakirti's purport for the benefit of lesser intellects'. He extensively refers to and cites Acarya Dharmakirti's Nyäyabindu, Pramanavartika, Pramanaviniscaya and others. He also cites Acarya Prajñakaragupta, Acarya Santarakṣita, Acārya Ratnakarasintipäda Acarya Jñanaśrīmitra and Ratnäkirti. Mallisena quotes Acarya Moksakaragupta twice by name as an opponent in his Syadavadamanjari. In addition, according to Mahämahopadhyaya Harprasada Sastri Acarya Mokṣakaragupta was one of the four great Pandits of the Rajajagaddala Vihara of Varendri in North Bengal. King Ramapala founded this Vihara in the last part of the eleventh century i.c. 1080 A.D. This was a great center for Buddhist learning. There were three other contemporaries of Acarya Mokṣakaragupta viz, Vibhuticandra, Dänasīla and Subhakaragupta hailing from the same monastery. The former two visited Tibet and helped to disseminate the Buddha dharma by translating many Sanskrit texts into Tibetan. Subhakaragupta is also known by the name Subhamkaragupta. He composed a commentary on Siddhekavira Tantra at the Rajajagaddala Vihara. Tibetan tradition reports that the great adept Acarya Dipankarśrījñāna, better known as Atisa, had thirty-seven teachers with whom the three Buddhist logicians cited above are closely associated. Additionally Acarya Jetäripada and Bodhibhadra are also included as the principle teachers of Atisa. Atiśa left Vikramasila Vihara in 1040 A.D. for Tholing at the invitation of Guge King Jangchub Od and was received with great obescience at Tholing in 1052.

**Contents and Sample Pages**