Jaina Agama Series

Author(s): Jambuvijay
Publisher: Jambuvijay
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/006964/1

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The Jaina Agama Series Muni Jambuvijaya in aina Agamas, the preachings and teachings of the last Jina Lord Mahavira are preserved. The holy scriptures which were composed by the ganadharas, the direct disciples of Lord Mahavira and the grand disciples, who flourished within about two or three hundred years after the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira, are called Jaina Agamas. The language of the Agamas is Ardhamagadhi. Ardhamagadhi is a Prakrit language. It was the language of the people during the time of Lord Mahavira. The fundamental class of the Agamas is known as Anga. This points to an old tradition of classifying the Agamas. To explain creation the Vedic tradition has posited a Purusa. Similarly, a Vidya-Purusa or Sruta-Purusa has been posited here and the various branches of knowledge are viewed as parts and sub-parts of his body. In Vedic literature we come across the idea of the parts of the body of) Vidya. Similarly, in the Jaina Scriptures we come across the idea of the parts and sub-parts of (the body of) the Sruta. It is clear that just as in the system of the human body parts serve as the basis of subparts even so in the Agamas the Angas serve as the basis of the Upangas. Thus, in the whole of the Agama literature the place of the Angas is higher than that of the remaining works. Not only that, they constitute the fundamental Agamas and it is on the basis of them that the other Agamas like the Upangas, etc.-- the current term for which is angabahya--have been composed. Thus the term 'Anga', applied to the fundamental Agamas--fundamental because they are composed by the direct pupils of the Tirtharkara after having heard his succinct preachings of the principles-suggests their importance as well as their originality. The teachings of Lord Mahavira constitute the main source of the Anga literature. It is beyond all shadow of doubt that the Agamas, at first, only included the Ganipitaka, or Dvadasanga, because both the Digambara and Svetambara traditions consider the ganadharas to be the authors of these

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Muni Jambuvijaya works. But it is also a fact that even the works composed by the long line of their disciples, grand-disciples, and so on gradually found place in the class of literature called Agama. Thus the Agamas generally fall into two groups: Anga Agamas and angabahya Agamas. The Nandisutra places under the title samyak sruta (true scriptures) nothing but the Dvadasangi propounded by the Arhat.' Again, it takes into consideration the Dvadasangi alone in the course of its treatment of sadisaparyavasita, etc. The Samavayanga (sutra 136) too enumerates only the twelve Angas propounded by Lord' Mahavira. The Anuyogadvara refers to the Dvadasa (twelve) Angas only, while discussing the topic of lokottara agamapramana (transcendental scriptures). All this suggests that, originally, the twelve Angas constituted the Jaina Agama. But as time passed even the works composed by the long line of disciples, direct or indirect, of the ganadharas were included in the Agama (Sruta) literature, the reason being that they were based on the original Agamas. Of course, the discrimination is always made as to which Agamas are written by the ganadharas and which by authors other than the ganadharas. The classification of the Agamas (the Sruta) into Anga (angapravista) and 'angabahya has been made keeping this very discrimination in view. The Svetambaras and the Digambaras agree on the point of including all Agamas other than the twelve Angas in the class called argabahya. But we have no source or means at our disposal to work out the chronological order in which the new additions were made in the class called angabahya. It would not be improper if we try to construct a picture of this order by joining together whatever stray links of history we have. After having classified the Sruta (the Agamas) into two classes, viz. the angabahya and the angapravista, Vacaka Umasvati has enumerated by name the works falling under the class angabahya. They are as follows: (1) Samayika, (2) Caturvimsatistava, (3) Vandana, (4) Pratikramana, (5) Kayavyutsarga, (6) Pratyakhyana, (7) Dasavaikalika, (8) Uttaradhyayana, (9) Dasa, (10) Kalpa-Vyavahara, (11) Nisitha, (12) Rsibhasita, etc. Here the use of the word 'etc.' (adi) suggests that there are some other works which also belong to this class. The author of the Dhavala-tika clearly says that there are just fourteen argabahya works; and he gives the names of these works as follows: (1) Samaiya, (2) Cauvisatthao, (3) Vandana, (4) Padikkamana, (5) Venaiya, (6) Kidiyamma, (7) Dasaveyaliya, (8) Uttarajjhayana,

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The Jaina Agama Series (9) Kappa-Vavaharo, (10) Kappakappiya, (11) Mahakappiya, (12) Pundariya, (13) Mahapundariya, (14) nisihaya." The Jayadhavalas applies the general term 'prakirnaka' to these fourteen angabahya works. The Dhavala and Jayadhavala even give the detailed contents of these fourteen works. So, it is possible that all these fourteen works (Sutras) were present before Acarya Virasena. As regards the Angas he clearly says that they have gradually become extinct. But in the case of the angabahya works he passes no such remark. On the basis of these two lists it can be said that the following eighteen works were well known as angabahya works till the time of the author of the Dhavala: (1) Samayika, (2) Caturvimsatistava, (3) Vandana, (4) Pratikramana, (5) Kayavyutsarga, (6) Pratyakhyana, (7) Venaiya, (8) Kidiyamma, (9) Dasavaikalika, (10) Uttaradhyayana, (11) Dasa, (12) Kalpa-Vyavahara, (13) Nisitha, (14) Rsibhasita, (15) Kappakappiya, (16) Mahakappiya, (17) Pundariya, (18) Mahapundariya. The first six out of these eighteen works are included in the avasyaka. We find in the Dhavala two different names in place of the last two of this list of six. If these two different names appearing in the Dhavala were considered to be simply other names of the Kayavyutsarga and the Pratyakhyana and not of two independent works, then the works enumerated here will be less in number by two, i. e. sixteen. But those two different names could not be considered to be simply the other names of the Kayavyutsarga and the Pratyakhyana because the content, as given in the Dhavala, of the works bearing those names greatly differs from that of the Kayavyutsarga and the Pratyakhyana. Hence the separate mention above of these two names. Thus, though only eighteen names are obtainable, it is very difficult to decide as to how many other names are intended by Vacaka Umasvati through the use of the word 'adi' in his Tattvarthabhasya. But we can say this much-the figure should be larger than the fourteen given in the Dhavala because the word 'adi' occurs after the enumeration of twelve names. Generally it can be said that the list found in the Dhavala belongs to that period when the views of the Svetambaras and Digambaras regarding the sruta were identical and there

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Muni Jambuvijaya was no dispute on the point. Hence it is quite possible that this list is prior to Vacaka Umasvati. In the Nandisutra, the following utkalika angabahya works are mentioned: yu . (1) Dasavaikalika (2) Kalpakalpika (3) Cullakalpasruta (4) Mahakalpasruta (5) Aupapatika (6) Rajaprasniya (7) Jivabhigama (8) Prajnapana (9) Mahaprajnapana (10) Pramadapramada (11) Nandi (12) Anuyogadvara (13) Devendrastava (14) Tandulavaicarika (15) Candravedhyaka (16) Suryaprajnapti (17) Paurusimandala (18) Mandalapravesa (19) Vidyacaranaviniscaya (20) Ganividya (21) Dhyanavibhakti (22) Maranavibhakti (23) Atmavisodhi (24) Vitaragasruta (25) Samlekhanasruta (26) Viharakalpa (27) Caranavidhi (28) Aturapratyakhyana (29) Mahapratyakhyana In addition to the utkalika angabahya works there are also kalika angabahya works. The Nandisutra includes the following sastras in the class of kalika angabahya: (1) Uttaradhyayana (2) Dasasruta (3) Kalpa (4) Vyavahara (5) Nisitha (6) Mahanisitha (7) Rsibhasita (8) Jambudvipaprajnapti (9) Dvipasagaraprajnapti (10) Candraprajnapti (11) Ksudrikavimanapravibhakti (12) Mahativimanapravibhakti (13) Argaculika (14) Vargaculika (15) Vivahaculika (16) Arunopapata (17) Varunopapata (18) Garudopapata (19) Dharanopapata (20) Vaisramanopapata

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The Jaina Agama Series (21) Velandharopapata (22) Devendropapata (23) Utthanasruta (24) Samupasthanasruta (25) Nagaparijna (26) Nirayavalika (27) Kalpika (28) Kalpavatamsika (29) Puspita (30) Puspaculika (31) Vrsnidasa? And at the end of this list is written: "..., etc. Eighty-four thousand prakirnakas by Lord ssabha, saskhyata thousand prakirnakas by the intermediary 22 Tirthankaras and fourteen thousand prakirnakas by Lord Mahavira also to be included in the kalika angabahya works." The author goes on to add that these works are as many thousands as are the disciples of the Tirtharkaras, disciples possessed of four types of intellect, and also as many thousands as are the Pratyekabuddhas. The Nandisutra mentions 60 angabahya works which are other than the avasyakas. Though they might have been extant at the time when the Nandi was composed, at present many of them are extinct. We shall now discuss the classification of the Agamas. As we have seen, at first the Angas alone constituted the Agamas or Ganipitakas. Afterwards even the works based on these Arigas found place among the Agamas and they were called angabahya. Thus the Agamas came from that time to be classified into two--the Anga and the angabahya. For the class Anga the term 'angapravista' is also used. For the class argabahya the terms 'upanga', 'anangapravista' and 'upatantra' are likewise used. Vacaka Umasvati uses the terms 'angabahya' and 'upanga' for the angabahya class, while the Dhavala employs the terms 'argabahya' and 'upatantra' for that very class. From the references found in the Nandisatra it can be seen that the term 'prakirnaka' was also applied to the angabahya class. The Jayadhavala (p. 122) corroborates this point. Like the Vedas, the Angas were studied at specific times and hence they are called kalika. But the case was different with the angabahya works. Some of them were studied at specific times and others at any time. Hence the angabahya works have formed two classes: the kalika and the utkalika. This classification is as old as the Anuyogadvarasutra. On this basis we can surmise that till the time of the

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Muni Jambuvijaya Anuyogadvara, the classification of the Agamas into Arga and angabahya, and the further classification of the angabahyas into kalika and utkalika was established. On the basis of the reference found in Umasvati's works and the Dhavala it can be deduced that there was a time when the Samayika, etc. were not regarded as forming one group; but when they did come to be grouped under one title (i.e. avasyaka) the angabahya works were classified into two-avasyaka and avasyakavyatirikta. The fact that this classification was prevalent is corroborated by the Sthananga (sutra 71), the Nandi (sutra 43) and the Anuyogadvara (sutra 5). The speciality of the Anuyogadvara is that the classification of the Sruta given therein runs as follows: . Sruta Anga angabahya kalika utkalika avasyaka avasyakavyatirikta But the Nandisutra offers the following classification: Sruta Anga angabahya avasyaka avasyakavyatirikta kalika utkalika

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The Jaina Agama Series The reason for the difference found in these two classifications is as follows: In the Anuyogadvara at the concerned place the topic in hand is the explanation of the avasyaka. Hence, having first mentioned the kalika and the utkalika types of angabahya works, the author points out that the avasyaka falls under the category utkalika. On the other hand, in the Nandi the topic in hand is related not to any particular class of Agamas but to the classification of Agamas as such; so, therein the kalika-utkalika classification has found place at the end. In the modern Svetambara tradition an altogether different classification of Agamas is prevalent. It is as follows: (1) Anga, (2) Upanga, (3) Cheda, (4) Mula, (5) Prakirnaka, (6) Culika. It is difficult to say as to when this system of classifying the Agamas originated but we can imagine the process through which it might have passed. The classification of the Agamas into Anga and angabahya might have been prevalent for long, but in the Middle Ages there took place some change in this system. It is difficult to decide as to when, that is in which century of the Middle Ages, this happened. But it is certain that this new system was already prevalent in near about the twelfth century of the Christian Era, because Sricandra, the pupil of Dhanesvara, in his Sukhabodha Samacari refers to the Angas and to the Upangas respectively related to them. On account of the mystical [sic] nature of the works that now pass under the title Chedasutras it should have been deemed necessary to separate them from the other Agamas and thus, perhaps, originated the class called Chedasutras. It is difficult to know as to when and why the class called Mulasutra came into existence. But we are of opinion that those works which the Jaina monks should learn first were grouped under the title Mulasutra. The Nandi and the Anuyogadvara, being composed as appendages to the entire Sruta, naturally form the class called Culikasutra. The Upanga, the Cheda, the Mula and the Culika-all these classes were formed after having selected the works, proper for each class, from among the prakirnakas that were included in the angabahya class of the Agamas. Hence the remaining prakirnakas have formed an independent class called Prakirnaka. The list of the established classes of the Sruta, which is universally recognised by the Svetambaras with some minor changes, runs as follows:9 (1) Acara, (2) Sutrakrta, (3) Sthana, (4) Samavaya, (5) 7 11 Angas

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Muni Jambuvijaya Vyakhyaprajnapti, (6) Jnatadharmakatha, (7) Upasakadasa, (8) Antakyddasa, (9) Anuttaraupapatikadasa, (10) Prasnavyakarana, (11) Vipaka, [(12) Drstivada-extinct)); 12 Upangas (1) Aupapatika, (2) Rajaprasniya, (3) Jivabhigama, (4) Prajapan, (5) Suryaprajnapti, (6) Jambudvipaprajnapti, (7) Candraprajnapti, (8) Nirayavali, (9) Kalpavatamsika, (10) Puspika, (11) Puspaculika, (12) Vrsnidasa; 6 Chedasutras (1) Nisitha, (2) Mahanisitha, (3) Vyavahara, (4) Dasasruta, (5) Brhatkalpa, (6) Jitakalpa; 4 Mulasutra (1) Uttaradhyayana, (2) Dasavaikalika, (3) Avasyaka, (4) Pindaniryukti; 10 Prakirnakas (1) Catuhsarana, (2) Aturapratyakhyana, (3) Bhakt aparijna, (4) Samstaraka, (5) Tandulavaicarika, (6) Candravedhyaka, (7) Devendrastava, (8) Ganividya, (9). Mahapratyakhyana, (10) Virastava; 2 Culikasutras (1) Nandi, (2) Anuyogadvara. Modern scholars, down to the present day, have not evinced as much interest in the study of the Jaina literature--particularly the Agamas--as they have in the study of its Vedic and Buddhist counterparts. There are many reasons for the neglect of the study of the Agamas. One of them is the absence of a good edition of these texts. The Jaina Agamas are a living literature. They have been edited and published by a number of religious personalities. But there exists not a single edition which contains all the Agamas which is handy and which is such as can easily be used by modern scholars. Stray attempts have been made in this direction but the task has not been carried out in a sys ematic manner with a determinate plan in view. Indeed the critical edition of all the Agamas was a long-felt need. For the publication of the Jaina Agamas, many individuals and many institutes have made attempts during all these years. In 1848 Stevenson published for the first time an English translation of the Kalpasutra; but the translation was not up to the mark. Really speaking, Prof. Weber deserves to be called the pioneer in the field of the Agama publication. In 1865-66 he edited some portions of the Bhagavatisutra and appended notes that embody the important results of his study of the same.

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The Jaina Agama Series In 1874 Ray Dhanpatsimhaji Bahadur started the work of publishing the Agamas and brought out many of them. But the utility of these published texts was hardly greater than that of the original manuscripts because they were printed without punctuation marks, paragraphing, and word-division. Nevertheless, he deserves our thanks for making available to the scholars the Jaina Agamas which were then very difficult to obtain. The Kalpasutra (1879) and the Acaranga (1882) edited by Dr. Hermann Jacobi, the Aupapatika (1890) and the Avasyaka (1897) edited by Leumann, some portions of the Jnatadharmakatha (1881) edited by Steinthal, the Upasakadasa (1890) edited by Hoernle, the Acaranga (1910) and some of the Chedasutras (1918) edited by Schubring, etc.- in the publication of all these works the critical method of editing has been adopted. This was not done in the case of the edition of 32 Agamas, published by Shri Lala Sukhdeva Sahaya in 1916-20 along with the Hindi translation by Shri Amolak Rishi, nor in that of the edition of the Agamas (along with their respective commentaries) the publication of which started in 1915 under the auspices of the Agamodaya Samiti. The Agamas ediled by Acarya Sri Sagaranandasurisvaraji are superior to those edited by Ray Dhanpatsimhaji Bahadur from the point of view of correct readings as well as correct printing, and they have proved very useful to the scholars. The credit certainly goes to Acarya Sagaranandasurisvaraji for whatever progress we have achieved in the study of Jaina religion and philosophy ever since the publication of his edition. Despite all this the need for a critical edition of the Agamas still remains to be fulfilled. In 1943 there was established the Sri Jainagama Prakasini Samsad with the aim of publishing the Agamas, by Muni Shri Punyavijayaji, who had been making, throughout the last forty years of his life, such efforts as would make possible the publication of a critical edition of all the Agamas. Not only that, but he had made successful attempts to correct the text reading of the Agamas on the basis of the quotations from them found in other works. As a result of these efforts of the Late Respected Muni Shri Punyavijayaji Maharaj, a committee was formed in the year 1964 by the Shri Mahavira Jaina Vidyalaya (Gowalia Tank Road, Bombay 16) to publish a critical edition of the Jaina Agamas. It was decided to accept the following six principles in critically editing the texts of the Jaina Agama:

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Muni Jambuvijaya (i) utilization of the old handwritten manuscripts (ii) utilization of the Curni, sika, Avacuri, Tippanaka, etc. (iii) utilization of the quotations from the Agama texts (iv) comparison with the Sutra readings found in the other Agama texts (v) discrimination of the unwanted and wrong amendations made by scholars (vi) discrimination of the mistakes committed by copyists. A scheme was adopted to edit all the Jaina Agamas critically and to publish them in 17 Volumes as follows: CULIKASUTRAS (2) Vol. I (1) Nandisutra (2) Anuyogadvarasutra ANGAS (11) Vol. II (1) Acaranga (1977) (2) Sutrakstanga (1978) Vol. III (3) Sthananga (4) Samavayarga Vol. IV (5) Vyakhyaprajnapti (in three parts: 1974, 1978, 1982) Vol. V (6) Jnatadharmakathanga Vol. VI (7) Upasakadasanga (8) Antakrddasanga (9) Anuttaraupapatikadasanga (10) Prasnavyakaranadasanga (11) Vipakadasanga UPANGAS (12) Vol. VII (1) Aupapatika (2) Rajaprasniya Vol. VIII (3) Jivabhigama Vol. IX (4) Prajnapana (in two parts: 1969, 1971) Vol. X (5) Jambudvipaprajnapti Vol. XI (6) Candraprajnapti (7) Suryaprajnapti Vol. XII (8) Nirayavalika

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The Jaina Agama Series (9) Kalpavatamsika (10) Puspika (11) Puspaculika (12) Vrsnidasa CHEDASUTRAS (6) Vol. XIII (1) Dasasrutaskandha (2) Brhatkalpasutra (3) Vyavaharasutra (4) Nisithasutra (5) Jitakalpa (Sraddhajitakalpa and Yatijitakalpa) Vol. XIV (6) Mahanisithasutra MULASUTRAS (4) Vol. XV (1) Dasavaikalika (2) Uttaradhyayana (3) Avasyaka Vol. XVI (4). Pindaniryukti (Oghaniryukti and Samsaktaniryukti included) PRAKIRNAKAS (10)* Vol. XVII (1) Catuhsarana (2) Aturapratyakhyana (3) Bhaktaparijna (4) Samstaraka (5) Tandulavaicarika (6) Candravedhyaka (7) Devendrastava (8) Ganividya (9) Mahapratyakhyana (10) Virastava This volume (in two parts) will also include the following Prakirnakas: (1) Ajivakalpa (2) Gacchacara (3) Maranasamadhi (4) Aradhanapataka

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Muni Jambuvijaya (5) Dvipasagaraprajnaptisamgrahani (6) Jyotiskarandaka (7) Saravali Out of these Volumes, Number I (1968), IX and XV (1977: Dasavaikalika, Uttaradhyayana, Avasyaka) were edited by Muni Shri Punyavijayaji Maharaj. After the expiration of Muni Shri Punyavijayaji Maharaj, the scheme is continued. Pandit Shri Bechardas Jivaraj Doshi has edited Vol. IV which is already published in three parts. Vol. XVII is edited by Pandit Amritlal Mohanlal Bhojak and is already published.* Volumes II, III (1985) and V (1989) are edited by Muni Shri Jambuvijaya and are already published. The work of Vol. VII is under progress. All the remaining volumes shall be critically edited and published in due course of time. This article has been compiled on the basis of the introduction of Volume I (1968) of the Jaina Agama Series. Notes 1. Nandisutra, su. 71. 2. Ibid., su. 73. 3. Ibid., su. 79; Rajavartika 1. 20. 11. 13; Dhavala, p. 96; Tattvarthabhasya 1. 20. 4. Dhavala, pt. I, p. 96; Jayadhavala, pt. I, pp. 24, 97. 5. P. 122. 6. Nandisutra, su. 81. 7. The Paksikasutra mentions, in addition to these 31 works, five others, viz. the Asivisabhavana, the Drstivisabhavana, the Svapnabhavana, the Mahasvapnabhavana, and the Taijasanisarga. And the Yoganandi additionally mentions three other works, viz. the Sagaraprajnapti, the Vrsnika and the Caranabhavana. Thus the total number of works pertaining to this type comes to 39. 8. Refer to the Introduction to Jaina Sahitya ka Brhad Itihasa (Parsvanatha Vidyasrama, Granthamaka), p. 36. 9. Ibid., p. 27. * Part I (twenty Prakirnakas), Part II (twelve "tracts"), Part III (Joisakarandagan) 1984, 1987, 1989. THE EDITORS.