History of Jaina Monachism

SR No.: 001727
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute
Publication Year: 1956
Total Pages: 616
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Principle, & History
File Size: 12 MB

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S. B. DEO Only one among these texts, the Causarana, has been ascribed to a particular author. One Virabhadda is said to have written it. But no details about him are available.
The Gacchāyārapainnaya deals with rules of monastic conduct pertaining to a group of monks, the relations with nuns and the mutual behaviour between the teacher and the disciple. WINTERNITZ remarks that this text "is an extract from the Mahānisīha and Vavahăra". 71
The Ganivijjāpainnaya is full of details about omens, karanas, muhurtas, nakşatras and such other matter, and our remarks in the case of the Paņņattis may be applied to this text as well.
Some more points regarding the Paiņņas may be noted :
From their contents, it does not appear that all these texts belong to one author.
Another thing is that the list of the Prakīrņakas has never been constant, and sometimes a greater number of texts is included in this group.72
From the nature of these texts discussed above, we may say that they belong to a later period—whether later than the Upāngas or not, it is very difficult to say.
The Two Miscellaneous Texts :
Finally, there remains a pair of texts, called Nandi and Anuyogadvära, which is not classified and hence not included in any other group of the canon.
Out of these two, the former is ascribed, by tradition, to Devardhi, the president of the Valabhĩ council. Scholars like CHARPENTIER73 and WEBER,74 however, are doubtful about this tradition inasmuch as the details given about the Canon in the Nandi differs from its present form. But WINTERNITZ seems to justify the claim of Devardhi when he remarks "But, then, do we possess the Canon in exactly the form in which Devardhi edited it?" 75
Besides the details about the canon, these two texts give sundry information on various topics like popular sciences, wrong beliefs, poetry, gram
71. Op. cit., p. 461. 72. See f. n. 3, on page 461, in WINTERNITZ, op. cit. 73. Intr. to Uttar,, p. 18. 74. 1.A., Vol. XXI, p. 294. 75. Op. cit., p. 472, f. n. 3.