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XXXIV : MAHĀPRATYĀKHYĀNA-PRAKIRNAKA
canonical works had also come to light. It must be remembered that in the Jaina tradition, the concept of the set of twelve primary canons is sufficiently ancient. The mentions of twelve primary canons (Dvādaśāriga) is also available in ancient canonical works like Sthānāriga 30, Samavāyānga ", etc. Although this fact doesn't help us much in deciding the period of composition of this Prakīrnaka, it can be said in this regard that this work had been composed only when the concept of the set of twelve primary canons had firmed up. From the mention of the twelve primary canons in this work, it is also evident that its composition dates back to a period after the coming into being of the twelve primary canons and before the loss of the Pūrva literature. Also, the mention of twelve primary canons but the absence of the names of Niryuktis, Bhāsyas, Cürnis, etc indicates that this work had been composed some time after the 2nd century and before the 5th century AD
One more fact concerning the period of composition of this Prakīrnaka that deserves our attention is that in this work the concept of Gunasthānas (stages of spiritual development) has nowhere been mentioned in the context of Samadhimarana. The other works of the Yāpanīya tradition – Bhagavatī–ārādhanā and Mūlācāra discuss the concept of Gunasthāna. In a separate essay, we have established that the concept of Gunasthāna had developed after the composition of the Tattvārthabhāsya i.e. after the 3rd century and before the Sarvârthasiddhi Tīka on the Tattvārthasūtra i.e. before the 5th-6th century.32 On this basis we can say that the concept of Gunasthāna had fully developed
30
Sthănanga, 10/103. Samavāyānga, 1/2. śramana, Jan-Mar 1992.
32
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