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PREFACE : XXI
these we have three Prakirnakas by the name Āturpratyakhyāna, two by the name of Catuhsarana and seven Prakirnakas and one Kulaka by the name of Ārādhanā. If we count each of the group with a common name as one, we get only eighteen Prakīrnakas. To these eighteen if we add the four Prakirnakas – Arigavijjā, Ajīvakappa, Siddhapāhuda and Jivavibhakti, which have not been published, we get a total of twenty-two Prakirnakas in all.
The above-mentioned classification, found in the Nandisútra, mentions only nine Prakirnakas in all under the Kālika or Utkālika sūtras. Of these two names - Rsībhasita and Dvīpasāgara-prajñapti are found under the classification of Kālika Agamas or the timely studiable canonical texts and the rest seven - Devendrastava, Tandulavaicārika, Candrakavedhyaka, Ganīvidyā, Maranavibhakti, Aturapratyākhyāna and Mahāpratyākhyāna - are found under the Utkālika Āgamas or anytime studiable scriptures. Thus, we see that the Prakirnakas have been mentioned under the category of extra primary other than essential timely or anytime studiable canonical texts in both – the Nandísūtra and the Pāksikasūtra.
Although the Prakīrnakas enjoy only positions of secondary importance in the scheme of canonical literature, if we examine their contents with regard to their spiritual contents and their ancient linguistic origin, some of them appear to be even more important than some of the mainstream canonical texts. Amongst the Prakirnakas there are ancient ones like Rsibhāsita, etc, which are of an older origin than the ancient canonical texts such as the
1
(a) Nandisūtra, Ed. Muni Madhukara, Āgama Prakāšana Samiti,
Beawar, 1982, pp 161-162. (b) Päksikasūtra, Devacandra Lālbhai Jain Pustakoddhara Fund,
p. 76.
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