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MORE LIGHT ON THE YAPANIYA SANGHA1
A JAINA SECT*
By
A. N. UPADHYE
The religious and ascetic organisation headed by Nigantha Nataputta, or Mahavira, was led eariler by Pārsva; and Mahāvīra was a Pāsavaccijja, i. e., he belonged to the line of Parsva. Still the Uttaradhyayana, XXIII, depicts a situation in which the pupils of Parsva and of Mahavira try to patch up some of the differences in their ascetic practices. It is such differences that might have created schisms and sects in the Jaina church in due course of time.
Reprinted from the Annals (B. O. R. Institute)
Vol. LV
2
POONA 1974
This paper was submitted to the 29th International Congress of Orientalists, Paris, and read by me at the Southeast Asia (Indian) Section on July 17, 1973.
1
For earlier studies see: Indian Antiquary, VII, p. 34; H. LUDERS: E. I., IV. p. 338; N. PREMI: Jaina Hitaisi, XIII, pp. 250-75; A. N. UPADHYE: Journal of the University of Bombay, L. vi, pp. 224 ff.; N. PREMI: Jaina Sahitya aura Itihasa, 2nd ed., Bombay 1956, pp. 56 f., 155 f., 521 f.; P. B. DESAI: Jainism in South India, Sholapur, 1957, pp. 163-66, etc.
Nalinaksh DATTA: Early History of the Spread of Buddhism and Buddhist Schools, p. 200.
3
E. LEUMANN: Die alten Berichte von den Schismen der Jaina, I, S., XVII, pp.
91-135.
4 Dr. HOERNLE quoted in South Indian Jainism, pp. 25-27,
5 See Viseṣāvasyakabhāṣya, Gathās 2304-2548,
2 [Annals, B. O. R. I. ]
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MORE LIGHT ON THE YĀPANIYA SANGHA,
A JAINA SECT*
BY A. N. UPADHYE
The religious and ascetic organisation headed by Nigantha Nātaputta, or Mahāvīra, was led eariler by Pārsva; and Mahāvīra was a Pāsā vaccijja, i. e., he belonged to the line of Pārsva. Still the Uttarādhyayana, XXIII, depicts a situation in which the pupils of Pārsva and of Mahāvīra try to patch up some of the differences in their ascetic practices. It is such differences that might have created schisms and sects in the Jaina church in due course of time.
The Samāgamasutta mentions that Buddha had already scented dissensions in the Jaipa church soon after the death of Mabāvīra, or · Nigantha Nātaputta, and exhorted his disciples not to fall a victim to
such schismatic impulses. During the life-time of Mahāvīra, the doctrinal differences like the Bahurata started by Jamāli, the son-inlaw of Mahāvīra, and Jivapradesa by Tisyagupta etc. were already thete. After the Nirvāņa of Mahāvīra, possibly due to the migration of certain monks to the South, there arose the division of Svetām bara and Digambara by laying more or less stress on certain ascetic practices which must have been there in the church even earlier. The schisms started by Aryāsādha (214 years after the Nirvāṇa of Mahāvīra ) etc. did not survive long to perpetuate any division in the church.
From the Mathurā inscriptions of the early centuries it is clear that gscetic groups like Gana, Kula, Sākā and Sambhoga were already current in the Jaina church. Among the Digambaras there were such
* This paper was submitted to the 29th International Congress of Orientalists, Paris, and read by me at the Southeast Asia (Indian ) Section on July 17, 1973. 1 For earlier studies see : Indian Antiquary, VII, p. 34 ; H. LÜDERS : E. I., IV.
p. 338 ; N. PREMI : Jaina Hitaisi, XIII, pp. 250-75; A. N. UPADHYE : Journal of the University of Bombay, I. vi, pp. 224 ff. ; N. PREMI : Jaina Sahitya aura Itihāsa, 2nd ed., Bombay 1956, pp. 56 1., 155 f., 521 f.; P. B. DESAI : Jainism in
South India, Sholapur, 1957, pp. 163-66, etc. 2 Nalinaksh DATTA : Early History of the Spread of Buddhism and Buddhist
Schools, p. 200. 8 E. LEUMANN : Die alten Berichte von den Schismen der Jaina, I. S., XVII, pp..
91-135. 4 Dr. HOERNLE quoted in South Indian Jainism, pp. 25-27.
See Viseşāvašyukabhāsya, Gāthās 2304-2548, ? [ Annals, B. O. R. I. ]
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divisions as Sangha (Mūla, Drāvida etc.), Gana (Deśī, Sena, Kāṇür etc.), Gaccha ( Pustaka etc. ), Anvaya (Kundakunda etc.). Among the Svetāmbaras there are Gacchas like Kharatara, Tapă, Añcala, etc.
The Darsanasāra of Devasena (9-10th century A. D.) gives a few details about the Sanghas some of which may be noted here. The Yāpanīya Sangha was led by Srikalasa ( 205 years after the death of Vikrama); Drāvida Sangha by Vajranandi ( 526 years after the death of Vikrama); Kāsthā Sangha by Kumārasena ( 753 years after the death of Vikrama ); and Māthura Sangha led by Rāmasena ( 953 years after the death of Vikrama. ). Such divisions, due to differences in practices, were unavoidable, because groups of ascetics lived and moved in different parts of the country.
Some definitions of these terms are available. A group of three monks was called a Gana; a band of seven monks was designated as Gaccha ; and regular community of monks was known as Sangha. But these definitions cannot be taken as universal : in fact there are instances of the interchange of Gana and Sangha. According to Uddyotana ( 779 A. D.), the term Gaccha seems to have originally indicated a travelling group of monks under its head. The traditional meanings have to be collected from the leading monks among Svetām baras and Digambarag.
In a Kannada Ms., Ganabheda, more prominence is given to Ganas than to Sanghas. Four Gaņas are recognised ; and they are linked with certain Sangbas: i) Senagana (Mülasangha ); ii ) Balavatkāraganas ( Nandisangha ); iii ) Deśīgana ( Simhasangha); and iv) Kālogragana ( Yāpaniyasangha ).
Sufficient attention has not been paid to the Yāpaniya Sangha, partly because there were certain prejudices against the Yăpaniyas, and because they do not exist today under that name like Digambaras and Svetāmbaras. There are various traditions about the origin of the Yāpaniyas. Devasena, who compiled his Darśanasāra in the year 909 or 990 years after the death of king Vikrama, records a tradition that
Srīkalasa, a Svetām bara monk, started the Yāpanīya Sangha in the town of Kalyāna in the year 205 after the death of king Vikrama. Then
1 See the Introduction to Reportoire D'epigraphie Jaina by A. GUERINOT,
Paris 1908. 2 Annals of the B. O, R. I., XV. iii-iv, pp 198 ff., Poona 1934. 3 Vasunandi's Sanskrit commentary on the Mülācāra, IV, 32, Bombay 1920. 4 Kuvalayamālā, p. 80, lines 17f., Bombay 1959. 5 Balavatkāra = Balātkāra, cf. Kannada Bala ( ) gara, 8 Kalogra-gana seems to be hyper Sanskritisation of Kandura- or Kāņur-gana
which is associated with the Yăpaniya Sangha.
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11
Ratnanandi? (later than 15th century A. D.) narrates, in his Bhadrabāhucarita, the origin of the Yāpanīya Sangha in this manner. King Bhūpāla was ruling at Karahāțaka. He had a favourite queen Nļkulādevī, by name. She once told her beloved that there were her teachers in her paternal town and that they should be requested to come over there for the glorification of the religious rites. The king, accordingly, sent his minister Buddhisāgara who brought those monks after great entreaties. After their arrival, the king went forth to receive them in a great pomp; but when he saw them from a distance and found that they were not naked monks, he began to wonder who were those new monks equipped with clothings, a bowl and a stick. He returned home without offering respects to them; he told his wife that her teachers were heretics, and he was not ready to respect them, because they were not Jaina monks. The queen understood what her beloved meant. She hurried to those monks and requested them to give up their white clothes and accept the Nirgrantha asceticism. They gave up accordingly their old robe and went naked with a water-gourd and a bunch-offeathers. Then the king approached and received them with due decorum. The monks, though Digambara in form, continued the practices of Svetāmbaras: it is they who formed the Yāpaniya-sangha.
The tradition being very late in time, one has to be cautious in accepting it wholesale and literally. There are some implications of this tradition. The queen perhaps belonged to the Svetāmbara community, and the Svetämbara monks do not appear to have been very popular in the South, if this Karahătaka were to be identified with modern Karhād in Satara district of Maharashtra. The Yāpaniyas are looked upon as a Svetām bara schism by both Devasena and Ratnanandi, though they had an outward appearance of Digambara monks. .
Yapaniyas have been looked upon as a heretic creed by some Digambara writers. Indranandi, in his Nītisāra, (verse 10 ) includes them under five false sects :
Gopucchikah svetavāsā Drāvido Yapaniyakah Nihpiñchaśceti pañcaite Jainābhāsāḥ prakīrtitāḥı
The basic meaning of the term Yāpaniya is a question by itself. Various spellings are available for it : Yāpaniya, Jāpaniya, Yapani, Apaniya, Yāpuliya, Apuliya, Jāpuli, Jāvuliya, Jāviliya,
i Bhadrabahucarita of Ratnanandi, Kolhapur 1921, Ch. IV, 135-54 ; H. JACOBI :
Uber die Entstehung der Svetāmbara and Digambara Sekten, ZDMG,
XXXVIII, pp. 1-42; H. LUDERS : E. I., IV, p. 338. 2 Tattvānu sāsanādi-samgrahah, in M. D. J. G., Bombay, Sam, 1975, pp. 58 ff.
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Jāvaliya, also Jāvaligeya. Different interpretations are already offered, tracing it back to the root yā with the causal suffix. TELANG explained the term 'as those who wandered about without being stationary'. In early texts like the Pravacanasāra (III. 10 ) two types of Teachers are mentioned : pavvajjā dāyaga and nijjāvaga. The duty of the nijjāvaga is to re-establish a defaulter-monk in the correct behaviour. His function is that of controlling and correctly piloting a novice : the Sanskrit equivalent should be nir-yāmaka rather than nir-yāpaka. The term javanijja is used in more than one sense in early Jaipa texts. In the Nāyādhammakahāo, there is the expression indiya-javanijje. Here javanijje cannot be from yāpanīya, but from yamaniya, going back to the root yam to control. We may compare also thavanijju standing for sthapanīya. So yõpaniya is not the correct Sanskritisation, though a catching back-formation. So the javanijja monks (called Yāpaniya) are those who lead life of yama-yāma; compare in this context the cāujjāma-caturyāma dharma of Pārsva. 3
It is necessary that we gather some details about the Yāpaniya Teachers, so that we can have a better picture of this Sangha and of the Teachers associated with it in different localities and contexts of events..
The Hāthīgumphā inscription of Khāravela has a reading (uncertain ) yāpa-ñāvakehi (line 14). Some suspect here a reference to Yåpaniyas, but one cannot be certain.
Mrgesavarman ( 475 to 490 A. D.) of the Kadamba dynasty has given a grant to Yāpaniyas, Nirgranthas and Kūrcakas : the teacher mentioned in the plate is Dāmakīrti. Further, his son ( 497-537 A. D.) also made a grant of a village, out of the income of which the Pūjā etc. were to be performed and the Yāpaniya ascetics to be fed for four months. The teachers mentioned here are : Dāmakīrti, Jayakīrti, Bandhusena and Kumāradatta, possibly all of them Yāpaniyas. Further Devavarman, the son of Krsnavarman ( 475-80 A. D. ) made a donation of a village to the members of the Yāpanīya Sangha in favour of their temple for its maintenance.5
The Kadamba plates of A. D. 812 give the following details. The Rāstrakūta king Prabhūta varsa himself made a donation in favour of a temple presided over by Arkakīrti, disciple of Kūchi (li )-ācārya, who
1 See I, A., VII, p. 34, footnote. 2 See my paper on the meaning of Yăpaniya' in the Srikanthikā, Mysore 1972. 8 Otherwise the expression in the Nāyādhammakahão cannot be properly
explained 4 E.I., XX, No. 7, p. 80. 6 I. A., VI, pp. 24-7, VII, pp. 33-5,
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descended from (with a gap of many teachers in between) Śrīkirtiacarya of the. Yapaniya-Nandisangha, Punnaga-vṛkṣamula-gana. Arkakirti successfully treated Vimaladitya, the Governor of Kunnigila Desa, who was suffering from the evil influence of Saturn. The Kiraippakkam (Chingalpet, Tamil Nadu) inscription of c. 9th century A. D. refers to a Jina-temple, Deśavallabha by name. It was constructed by Amalamudalguru, the pupil of Mahaviraguru of the Yapaniya Sangha and the Kumilagana. The donation makes provision for feeding the monks of the Sangha.2
Amma (II) of the Eastern Calukya family made a grant of the village Maliyapundi (in Andhra) for the benefit of a Jaina temple. The teacher in charge of it was Śrīmandiradeva, the disciple of Divakara and grand-disciple of Jinanandi of the Yapaniya Sangha, (Koți) Maduva-gana and Punyaruha (possibly equal to Punnagavṛkṣa) Nandi Gaccha. Then there is the Saudatti (Sugandhavartti) inscription of A. D. 980. It opens with the mention of Tailapadeva of the Calukya dynasty. Santivarma and his queen Candakabbe are specified. The donation of the land is made by Santivarma for the Jaina temple built by him. Here some of the teachers mentioned belonged to the Yapaniyasangha and Kanḍurgana; and their names are: Bahubali-deva (bhaṭṭārakaḥ) (who is compared with moon, lion etc.); Ravicandrasvami, Arhanandi, Subha candra-Siddhantadeva, Maunideva and Prabhacandradeva. Dr. P. B. DESAI refers to another inscription from Hosur (Saudatti, Dt. Belgaum) in which the preceptors belonging to the Kandūrgana of the Yapaniya Sangha are mentioned. Their names are Subhacandra (I), Candrakirti, Subhacandra (II), Nemicandra, Kumarakirti, Prabhacandra and Nemicandra (II).5
13
It is reported that the image of Neminatha now in the Dodda Basadi at Belgaum, once belonged to a temple in the fort. The inscription on it says that Parisayya of the Yapaniya Sangha constructed the temple in A. D. 1013 to which Kattayya and Jakkavve, the mother of Sahanadhipati ( perhaps the same as the Dauḍanayaka of the Kadamba ruler Jayakeśi) made the gift of land at Kallahalli (near Gokak ). It may be noted that Parisayya seems to be a layman and not a teacher, and his affiliation to the Sangha is specified. The Raybag inscription (A. D. 1020) records the gift of land at Hüvinabage (modern Raybag)
1 E. C., XII Gubbi 61.
2 A. R. S. I. E., 1934-35 N. 22, p. 10, Delhi 1938.
3 E. I., IX, No. 6.
4 Journal of the B. B. R. A. S., X, 71-72, text pp. 206-7.
5
Jainism in South India, p. 165.
6 Jinavijaya (Kannada), January 1931.
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by Dandanāyaka Dāsimarasa to the illustrious preceptor Kumārakīrtipanditadeva of the glorious Yāpaniya-sangha, Punnāgavęksamūlagana. The Hosur (Dharwar Dt.) inscription of A. D. 1028-29 records the grant of an areca-nut garden and house sites made by Aycha-Gavuuda of Posavūra to the Basadi. Here are mentioned the Yāpanīya Sangha and (Punnāgavřksam ūla, not fully readable ) the teacher is Jayakīrti.? The Hüli record is found in two parts, the first belonging to the Cālukya Ahavamalla Someśvara (A. D. 1044 ) and the second to Jagadekamalla (A. D. 1145 ). These grants are made for the repairs of the Jina temple and for the maintenance of the saints (connected with it). In the first Bālacandra-bhattārakadeva of the Yāpaniya Sangha Punnāgavrksamūla is mentioned, and in the second is specified Rāmacandradeva. The Mugada inscription of A. D. 1045 refers to Yāpaniya Sangha and Kumudigana. It is the latter that is better specified and a number of teachers are mentioned: Srīkīrtigoravadi, Prabhāśasānka, Nayabộtinātha, Ekavira, Mahāvīra, Narendrakīrti, Nāga bikki-vratindra, Niravadyakīrti-bhattāraka, Madhavendu, Bălacandra, Rāmacandra, Municandra, Ravikīrti, Kumārakīrti, Dāmanandi, Traividya-govardhana, Dāmanandi, Vaddācārya. Some names are elusive. But all of them are highly praised with references to their profound learning and exemplary conduct.4 The Morab (Dt. Dharwar ) record mentions the Samadhi-marana of Nāgacandra Siddhāntadeva, the pupil of Jayakirtideva of the Yāpaniya Sangha. Kanakasakti was the pupil of Nāgacandra who is called Mantracūļāmaņi. The Doni (Dt. Dharwar ) record belonging to the reign of Tribhuvanamalla ( A. D. 1096 ) is a grant of a garden to Cărukirti Pandita, the pupil of Municandra-traividya Bhattāraka of the Yāpnisanga-vşkşamülagaņa. Dāyimayya, the pupil of Municandra Siddhāntideva, wrote the record. The Dharmapuri inscription (Dt. Bhir, Maharashtra) records the grant of income from different taxes for the worship of god and for the feeding of ascetics by the Pañcapattana of Pottalakere, the Kañcugāras and Telunganagaras. The grant was entrusted to Mahāvīra Pandita, the Acārya of the Basadi, of Yapaniyasangha and Vamdiyûragana.' The Kalabhāvi record outside the temple of Rāmalinga belongs to c. 11th century A. D. and refers to the period of Sivamāra of the Western Ganga family. Sivamāra gifted the village Kumudavāda to a Jaina shrine built by him and entrusted it to the
1 Journal of the Bombay Historical Society, iii, pp. 192-200. 2 S. I. I., XI. i., No. 65, Madras 1940, 3 E.I., XVIII; also P. B. DESAI, Ibidem, pp. 174 f. 4 S. I. I.. XI. i., No. 78, Madras 1940. 6 A. R. S. I, E., 1928–29, No. 239, p. 56. 6 S. I,I., II. iii, No. 140. 7 A, R, S. I. E., 1961-62, B 460-61,
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preceptor Devakirti of the Mailapanvaya, Kāreyagana (which are associated with Yapaniya Sangha in the Bailahongal record). His predecessors mentioned are Subha kirti, Jina candra, Nagacandra and Gunakirti.1
The Honnur inscription records the grant for the temple built by Bamma Gavuda, the disciple of Ratrimati-kanti, i. e., a nun by name Rātrimati, of the Mulasangha, Punnagavṛkşamülagana at the time of Ballaladeva and Gandaraditya (of the Silahara dynasty of Kolhapur), c. 1108 A. D. The Bailahongal (Dt. Belgaum) record is of the time of Calukya Tribhuvanamalladeva. The Ratta Mahasamanta Anka, Santiyakka and Kundi territory are mentioned. It is a grant to some Jaina temple. Mullabhaṭṭāraka and Jinadevasüri of the Yapaniya Sangha, Mailapa Anvaya and Kareyagana are specified. There is another Huli (Dt. Belgaum) inscription of the reign of Vikramaditya (VI). It refers to Bahubali, Subha candra, Maunideva and Maghanandi of the Yapaniya Sangha and Kandūrgana. The inscription at Eksambi (Dt. Belgaum) is found in the Neminatha Basadi constructed by Kalan(n)a, the general of Vijayaditya (the son of Silahara Gandaraditya). A land for the temple was given to Vijayakirti (Mahamaṇḍalācārya) of the Yapaniya Sangha, Punnagavṛkṣamulagana. His genealogy stands thus Municandra, Vijayakirti, Kumarakirti and Traividya Vijayakirti. The Raṭṭa Kartivirya paid a respectful visit to this temple in A. D. 1175.5 The Arsikere (Mysore) inscription (c. middle of the 12th century A. D. ) refers to the grant made to the Jina temple. In one of the opening verses the Maduvagana of the Yapaniya (Sangha ) is praised. The pratistha of the image was made by Manikasetti, a disciple of the Pomnagavṛkṣamulagana and [Yapaniya] Sangha; and the teacher mentioned is Kumārakirti Siddhanta of the Yapaniya Sangha and Maduvagana. In another inscription there, the donor is Somayya of the Yapaniya Sangha. Unlike in most of the other records, here the laity are being directly linked with the Yapaniya Sangha. Secondly, the word Yapaniya, the editor observes, is erased. Thirdly, a word like Kālāmukha-pratibaddha is added later, but it is redundant. Obviously some prejudice is shown against Yapaniyas, but there is no sufficient evidence to show that they had any Kālāmukha leanings, because the word Kalamukha itself is added later. It is not unreasonable to presume that one who added the expression Kalamukha-pratibaddha might have tried to erase the term Yapaniya for removing inconsistency.
The
1 I. A., XVIII, p. 309; also P. B. DESAI, Ibidem, p. 115.
2 I. A., XII, p. 102.
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3 A. R. S. I. E., 1951-52, No. 33, p. 12.
4 E. I., XVIII, pp. 201 f.
5 A. R. of the Mysore Arch. Dept., 1916, pp. 48 ff.
6 Ed. S. SHETTAR: J. of the Karnatak University, X, 1966, pp. 159 ff. (in Kannada ).
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Lokapur (Dt. Belgaum ) record of the 12th century A. D. notes that Brahma ( the son of Kallagāvunda ) erected an image of Purudeva under the advice of Ubhaya-Siddhānta-cakravarti, the pupil of Sakalendu Siddhāntika of the Kandūragana of the Yāpaniya Sangha. At Tengali (Dt. Gulburga ) there is an inscription of c. 12th century A. D. on the pedestal of an image. It was consecrated by Bammadeva, the pupil of Nāgadeva Siddhāntadeva of the Vadiyura (Vandiyūra ?) gana of the Yapaniya Sangha. The Manoli (Dt. Belgaum ) record of the 12th century A. D. speaks of the erection of Samādhi of Municandradeva of the Yäpanīya Sangha. He was the Acārya of the Basadi established by Siriyādevī. There is also a reference to the Samādhimarana of Pālyakirti, the pupil of Municandra of the Yāpaniya Sangha.
The Adaragunchi (Dt. Dharwar ) record of c. 13th century A. D. marks the boundary of the land given to a Basadi (at Ucchangi) of the Yāpanīya Sangha and Kādūrgana. The mutilated record at Hukeri (Dt. Belgaum ), c. 13th century A. D., mentions the name of Traikīrti of some Gana (the name is gone ) of the Yāpaniya Sangha.
In the under-ground cell at Kagwad (Dt. Belgaum ) there is a grand statue of Neminātha. There is an inscription on the Nisidi stone which mentions the names of Dharmakīrti and Nāga Bommaras. The date given corresponds to A. D. 1394. There are gaps in the record. The teachers of the Yāpaniya Sangha and Punnāgavşkşamülagana are Nemicandra (who is called Tuļuvarājya-sthāpanācārya ), Dharmakirti and Nāgacandra.
There are some undated records. The Sirur (Jamkhandi ) record states that the image of Pārsvanātha-Bhattāraka was presented by Kālisetti for the Kusumajinālaya of the Yāpanīya Sangba and VỊksamūlagana.? The Garag (Dt. Dharwar) record specifies the Samādhimarana of Sāntivīradeva of the Yāpaniya Sangha, Kumudigana. There is another worn out record which also mentions the same Sangha and Gana.8 The Rayadrug (Dt. Bellary ) record refers to the construction of Nigidi. Of the eight names mentioned there, we have Candrabhūti of Müla Sangha and Candrendra, Bādayya and Tammanna of the Apaniya Sangha.
1 Kannada Research Institute, Dharwar, 1942-48, No. 47. 1 A. R. I, E., 1960-61, No. 511; also P. B. DESAI, Ibidem, p. 404. 3 A. R. S. I. E., 1940-4 L, Nos. 63-65., p. 245. 4 A. R. S. I. E., 1941-42, No. 3, p. 255. 6 A.R.S.I. E., 1941-42, No. 6, p. 261. 6 Jinavijaya (Kannada), Belgaum, July 1931. 7 A. R. S. I. E., 1938-39, No. 98, p. 219. 8 A. R. S. I. E., 1925-26, Nos. 441-42, p. 76. 9 A, R. S. I. E., 1919, No. 109. p. 12.
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There are some other inscriptions which have lately come to light. i) One at Sedam of 1124. A. D. refers to Prabhācandra Traividya of of Maduvagana possibly to be associated with the Yāpanīya Sangha. ii) One from Badali (Dt. Belgaum ) of 1219 A. D. refers to the Yāpaniya Sangha, Kāreya Gana. The teachers mentioned are Mädhava Bhattāraka, Vinayadeva, .... kirti Bhattāraka, Kanakaprabha and Srīdhara Traividyadeva.? iii) One from Hannakeri (A. D. 1209 and 1257 ). Here is reference to Yāpaniya Sangha, Mailāpānvaya and Kāreyagana. The teachers mentioned are Kanakaprabha (who is called jātarūpadharavikh yātam, i. e., known for his nudity or nirgranthatā), Sridhara, Kanakaprabha-pandita.? iv) On the pitha of the first floor of the temple in the Mangalwar Peth, Kolhapur, there is a record in Kannada which states that Vomiyanna got prepared the patta-śālā; he was the brother of Raviyanna, the pupil of Vijayakīrti of the Yāpapiya Sangha and Punnāga vșksa-mūlagana.4 v) Lately Dr. Gururaj BHATT sent me a copy of an inscription from the Image at Varang (S. K.) which mentions Kāņūrgana. He is studying it more closely.
. This chronological survey of various inscriptions (from the 5th to the 14th century A. D. ) referring to the Yāpaniya Sangha clearly brings out certain broad facts about this Sangha. Yāpaniyas, to begin with, were distinguished from Nirgranthas, Sveta pata and Kūrcaka. The Yăpaniya Sangha is associated with ganas like Kumuligana (or Kumudigana ), ( Koți ) Maduvagana, Kandur- or Kāņur-gana, Punnāgavrkşamüla-gana (also. linked with Mülasangha ), Vandiyūra-gana, Kāreyagana and Nandi-gaccha and Mailapānvaya. This contamination with different Ganas indicates that the Sangha gradually got itself expressed through Ganas which, as the account of the Ganabheda shows, were becoming more prominent in Karnataka and round about. The result is that often only the Punnāgavęksamūlagana or Kandūrgana is mentioned without specifying the Yāpaniya Sangha. This should explain how gradually the Yāpaniya Sangha was lost and became mixed with others, especially the Digambaras in the South. One of the saints of this Sangha is called jātarūpadhara, a term generally used by the Digambara monks. How the saints of this Sangha compromised their practices and creed are matters for further investigation. According to the Nītisāra (7-8 ) of Indranandi, the Sanghas were there first : Simha-, Nandi-, Sena-, and Deva-Sangha; and later grew Gaņa, Gaccha etc.
1 B. P. DESAI: Ibidem. p. 403. 2 R. S. PANCHAMUKHI: Karnataka Inscriptions, I, Dharwar 1941, pp. 75-6. 3 K. G. KUNDANGAR : Inscriptions from N. Karnatak and Kolhapur States,
Kolhapur 1939. 4 Jinavijaya (Kannada), Belgaum 1931 (May-June ).
3 [ Annals, B. O. R. I, )
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But in later days, as indicated by the Ganabheda, Gana division absorbed and superseded the Sanghas. This Gana-paksapāta is explained in the śrutāvatāra ( verse 90 ) which also indicates how different nameendings like -nandi, -vīra, -deva etc. came into vogue.
From the places where the records are found, it is clear that the Teachers of the Yāpanīya Sangha had their sway mostly in the area of the present-day districts of Dharwar, Belgaum, Kolhapur and Gulburga. The number of records found in Andhra and Tamil Nadu is very small. That no records of the Yāpaniya Sangha are noticed at Sravana Belgol indicates that this seat possibly developed exclusive of the Yāpaniya Teachers. In Karnataka, it is mainly in the northern part of it that many of the Yäpaniya Teachers are associated with the Temple Institution. (Generally speaking the preference is for the images of Neminātha and Pārsvanātha. ). What is striking is that they appear like Trustees managing the temples and also looking after the maintenance of the Sangha by receiving land-grants from kings and other dignitaries in the society. Such functions are more or less the forerunners of those of the present-day Bhattārakas in these areas. The existence of the institution of nuns (ūryškā, kanti or kşāntikā) in the Jaina order has nothing to do with the doctrinal question whether a woman attains liberation in the same birth. This is on par that the doctrine of Ahimsā has never come in the way of the presence of great Dandapāyakas among the Jainas. What is needed is correct undrestanding of the concepts of Strīmukti and Ahimsā. As it apperas, the Sangha did not much affect the laity beyond a few individuals and families owing allegiance to some Acārya or the other.
The terms like Sangha, Gana, Gaccha and Anvaya have their meanings changed ; Sangha and Gaņa are often interchanged.; and their exhaustive study, in their relations to each other, is a desideratum.
It is noted above how Indranandi in his Nītisāra calls Yāpaniyas as Jainābhāsa; and Srutasāgara has many remarks to make against them, even going to the extent of saying that the statues installed by them, though they are nagna, should not be worshipped. In spite of all this, the Yapaniya Teachers are highly praised in the records for their learning and practice of ascetic virtues; and the Digambaras in the south are worshipping the statues which are obviously of the Yapaniya Sangha. That shows how the Yāpaniyas became almost one with the Digambaras : at least one instance is there that a Yapaniya monk is decsribed as jātarūpadhara.
1 See foot-note No. 2 on p. 11; the Srutāvatára is also included in that volume.
See also P. B. DESAI, Ibidem, pp. 164f. $ His Sanskrit comm, on the Satpräbhrtādisangraha, Bombay 1920, p. 79.
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The Yāpaniyas constituted à Sangha, and its Teachers were in charge of Temples which had lands to support them. It is but natural that these circumstances were quite favourable for cultivating literary activities. Haribhadra (c. 8th century A. D.) refers to Yāpaniyatantra in this manner : 1
strīgruhanaṁ tāsām api tadbhava eve samsāraksayo bhavati iti jñāpanārtham vacaḥ, yatholctam Yapaniyatantre: no khalu itthi ajīvo, na yāvi abhavvā, ņa yāvi dansana-wirohini, no amānusā, no anāriu. ppatti, no asamkhejjāuyā, no aikūramai, no na uvarítamohā, no na suddhācārā, ņo asuddha-bomdi, no vavasāya-vajjiyā, no a privvakaranavirohiņī, ņo nanagunathānarahiyā, no ajogaladdhie, no akallāņabhāyaņam ti, kaham na uttamadhamma-sähiga tti il
Sruta sāgara tells us that they read Kalpa, to be identified with the Kalpasūtra.?
Sākatāyana, also known as Pālyakirti, is described by Malayagiri. · as Yāpaniya; and the references from his Sanskrit grammar: to Niryukti,
Bhāsya etc. clearly indicate that some of the texts of the Ardhamāgadhi canon were acceptable to him. He refers to a number of authors: and at least some of them might have belonged to the Yāpaniya Sangha. The A pabhraíśa poet Svayambhū belonged to Apuliya or Yāpaniya Sangha, as indicated by some gloss.4 Some scholars hold the view that Vimala also belonged to the Yāpaniya Sangha, but this point needs further investigation, by a close study of the Paümacariya.
Sākațāyana, the grammarian, mentions himself in his colophon thus : 5
iti śrī-śrutāaevali-desīyācāryasya śākațāyanasya krtau sabdā. nušāsane etc.
This is the way perhaps the Yāpaniya Teachers distinguished themselves. Even the author of the Tattvārthasūtras, namely Umāsvāti, is described thus :
Tattvārthasūtrakartāram Umāsvāti-munīśvaram 1 Śrutakevalidesīyan vande' haṁ guņamandiram il
1 See my earlier paper noted above; algo Hemacandra's Yogaśāstra, B. I. ed.,
p. 652. 2 My earlier paper, noted in f. n. 1, on p. 9. 8 Sāka tāyana.Vyakarana (and the Svopajña Amoghavrtti) with a learned
Introduction by Dr. R. BIRWE, Bhāratiya Jñāpapitha publication, Delhi 1971. See the Intro. and also the General Editorial.
N. PREMI : Jaina Sahitya aura Itihāsa, 2d ed., p. 199. 6 saka tāyana-Vyakaranam, Kolhapur 1907.,
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The Sūtras and the Bhāsya show some clear-cut differences with the Ardhamāgadhi canon and Pujyapāda is not happy with the text of the Sûtras in many places. The late Pt. Premi has given some valid reasons why Umāsvāti must have belonged to the Yäpaniya Sangha. He has further suggested that Sivärya and Aparajitasūri might have belonged to the Yāpanīya Sangha. The former is the author of the Ārādhanā, quite an ancient text in Prakrit, and the latter its commentator in Sanskrit. Some of the contexts in their works are not quite consistent either with the Svetām bara or Digambara views.? Likewise Siddhasena Divākara,3 in all probability, was a Yāpaniya ; and tbat is why Haribhadra calls him Sruta kevali. Siddhasena has bis differences with the known doctrines of the Digambaras and Svetāmabaras. With the lapse of time, the temples once presided over by Yāpaniya Teachers as well as the images set up by them are today known as Digambara and are worshipped by Digambaras. Naturally the literary works produced by outstanding Yāpaniya teachers are mostly current in the South. A closer study of the Paümacariya of Vimala, Padmacarita of Ravişena, Varángacarita of Jațila (who is heavily indebted to Siddhasena and Umäsväti), Paümacariu of Svayambhu etc. is needed.
I may note here a striking point. According to the Ganabheda, modern Kopbal (Koppala ) was a seat of the Yāpaniyas; and it is on the Pallakki Gundu there that we have got the foot-prints of Jatācārya or Jaţila. The Kannada poet Janna, who flourished at the beginning of the 13th centnry A. D., assigns Jaţāsimhanandi to Kāṇūrgana' (see Anantanātha-purāņa I. 17 )' which is so closely associated with the Yāpaniyas. When I edited the first chapter of the Varāngacarita, a controversy was raised whether the author was Digambara or Svetāmbara.
It is clear from the above details that plenty of references are found to the Yāpanīyas in inscriptions of the South. We have to see whether any references are found in Kannada and allied literature. Following more or less the story of the Brhat-Kathākośa (No. 131 ) of
1 E. C., VIII, Nagar No. 46. Though late in age, it is a valuablo record of tradi.
tional information. 9 N. PREMI: Jaina sahitya aura Itihasa, pp. 56 ff., 521 f. of the 2nd ed.
See my Introduction to the Siddhasena Diväkara's Nyäy avatara and other works, Jaina Sahitya Vikāsa Mandala, Bombay 1971.
My Intro, to the Varāngacarsta, Bombay 1938. 5 Ed., Mysore 1972. 6 Annals of the B. O. R. I., XIV. i-ii, Poona 1933.
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Harisena (931-32 A. D. ), the Vaddarādhane in Kannada mentions Jāpuli Sangha. The contexts are a bit confused, but both the texts refer to Ardha-phälaka, Kām balika, Sveta bhiksu and Yāpaniya, Janna ( 1209 A. D. ) in his Kannada Anantanāthapurāna mentions Rāmacandradeva of the Kāņūrgana (I. 25); and he qualifies Municandra Traividya by the expression Jāvaligeya which is not being correctly explained. Possibly the same Municandra with a similar adjective is mentioned in the Kannada Pārsvanāthampurāņu (I. 33 ) of Pārsvapandita (A. D. 1222 ). In my opinion Jāvaligeya stands for his Sangha, Yāpaniya. What is more interesting is that Janna assigns Jațā-Simhanandi and Indranandi to the Kāņūrgana which is associated closely with the Yāpaniya Sangha. Janna's praise of various Acāryas clearly shows that separatist tendencies of Ganas ett were not observed by these poets.
It is seen from inscriptional and literary evidence that the Yāpaniyas have lived hand-in-hand with Digambaras; and some of their temples and images are worshipped to this day by Digambaras in the South. Gunaratna (A. D. 1343-1418 ) does not show much acquaintance with the Yāpanīyas, and Srutasāgara (16th century of the Vikrama era ) has hardly any sympathy for them. In fact, even today, some scholars of the orthodox school, not knowing that a few images in the so-called Digambara temples are already of the Yăpaniya sect, still object to the old images of the Yāpanīya sect being installed and worshipped. Titles like Saiddhāntika, Traividya used by some Yāpaniya Acaryas indicate their studies of Şatkhandāgama etc. : this point needs further investigation.
Gunaratna, while commenting on the Saddarśanasamuccaya (beginning of the chapter IV ) of Haribhadra, observes thus :
Digambarāḥ punar nāgnya-lingā kompāni-pātrāś ca te caturdhā Kāsthāsamgha-Mülasa mgha-Māthurasangha-Gopyasamgha-bhedāt Kästhāsamghe camarībālais ca picchikā, Mūlasamghe mayūrapicchaih picchikā, Māthurasa mghe mūlato'pi picchikā nādrtā, Gopyā māyūrapicchikā ādyas trayo'pi samghā vandyamānā dharmavrddhin
1 Singhi Jaina Series, 17, Bombay 1943. *** 2 D. L. NARASIMHACHAR, 4th ed., p. 93, Mysore 1970. 8 Ed. H. SHESHAYYANGAR, Madras, 1960; Prof. G. VENKATSUBBIAH, Editor,
Kannada Nighantu, Bangalore, drew my attention to this. Shri HAMPA Nagaraj
tells me that he is not aware of Jāvaligeysewhere in Kannada works. 4 Bharatiya Jñädapitha od., Varanasi 1970, p. 160-61.
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________________ 22 Annals of the Bhanda ke, Oriental Research Institute bhananti, strinam mukti kulinam bhuktin sadvratasyapi sacivarusya muktinca na manvoti Gopyas tu vandyatana dharmalabham bhananti, strinar muktin kevelinam bhuktm ca manyante i gopya yapaniya ity ucyante. Thus Gopya was another name of Yapaniya. He puts it under Digambara, though Strimukt und Kevalibhukti are accepted by them. That they accepted these views is borne out by the facts that Sakatayana, besides his Sanskrit gr mimar already referred to above, has written two Prakaranas, Strinukti- and Kevalibhukti-prakarana and these are already publisbed. It is interesting to note that his grammar is more popular with the Digambaras of the South and his two Prakaranas are current among the Svetambaras. Later Srutasagara (16t'i century of the Vikrama era ) is not quite tolerant to other sects. Fe quotes Indranandi's verse which labels Yapaniyas as Jainabhasa, and gives some details about Gopucchika Svetavasa, Dravida and Yapaniya. About the last two be says : ? Dravidah savadyan prusukam ca na manyante, udbhojanam nirakurvanti r Yapaniyas tau vesara ivobhayam manyante, ratnatrayam pujayanti, kalpam ca vacayanti, strinam tadbhuve moksam, kevali-jinanam kavalaharam, parasasane sagranthanam moksam ca kathayanti. i See the Appendix to the Int ... by Dr. BIRwE to the saka tayana-Vyakarana, noted above. Muni Sri JAMBI Y JAYAJI is bringing out a new-ed, along with the svopajna commentary. When 2 Satprabhrtadisangraha, note abova p. 11.