मूलमध्यमककारिका (आचार्य नागार्जुन - चन्द्रकीर्ति प्रणीत प्रसन्नपदा व्याख्या सहित)

Śūnyavada
BY
Dr. S. Bagchi
'Chronological Background
Though Nāgārjuna is probably the first systematizer of
Śūnyavāda which we call the Mādhyamikadarśana, it is perfectly
legitimate to presume that this doctrine was current among the
Mahāyāna Buddhists for a long time before his advent. In the
Buddhist Āgamas, viz. the Prajñāpāramitā, the Laṅkāvatārasūtra
and others, the doctrine of Śūnyatā has been broached and treated
of in a laconic and desultory manner. But the Āgama is written in
a diffuse style of the Purāṇas in which philosophical matters are
entangled with religious dogmas. It is difficult to draw a definite
conclusion as to whether it is the doctrine of Śūnyavāda or Vijñāna-
vāda that is preached in these works. It is an intriguing matter
that both the exponents of Vijñānavāda and Śūnyavāda have drawn
upon these source books in confirmation of their philosophical con-
clusions. The Laṅkāvatāra contains long passages which lend coun-
tenence to the idealistic view that consciousness is the ultimate
reality. On the other hand there are passages in it which have
definite link with Śūnyavāda—Absolute Negativism. These Āgamas
play the same role as the Upaniṣads in the evolution of the schools
of the Vedānta philosophy with their uncompromising rivalry.
It is also presumable that Nāgārjuna may have had predeces-
sors who tried to systematize the tenets of Śūnyavāda in the style
of professional philosophers. Śūnyavāda has been discussed and criti-
cized in the Nyāyasūtra of Akṣapāda and it is quite natural to
assume that the doctrine criticized was sponsored by Nāgārjuna
for the first time. Nāgārjuna has also quoted from the Nyāyasūtra.
In the Vigrahavyāvartanī he has criticized the Nyāya theory. In
the state of our present knowledge which is confined to the availa-
ble works of Nāgārjuna and the Nyāyasūtra, it is not far from risk
to assign priority or posteriority to these two authors. It is defi-
nite that the Mahāyāna schools of Yogācāra—Vijñānavāda and
Śūnyavāda were linked into shape in the early christian era, if not
before. The word Śūnyatā or Śūnya is also found in the Pāli Nikā-
yas, though its connotation is a matter of dispute. We must wait
for further light which may be derived from fresh discovery of old
texts. The chances, however, are very remote. We have to remain
content with this atmosphere of chronological uncertainty and to be
on the safe side, it is expedient to keep our judgement in reserve.