History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

SR No.: 001741
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 2000
Total Pages: 266
Language: English, Sanskrit, Prakrit
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & Literature
File Size: 18 MB

Page 128

THE EXTANT ĀGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
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ajjhayanas, the 4th and the 7th wholly in prose whereas the 3rd in prose with 4 verses almost at the end, and the 5th and the 6th entirely in verse.
As regards the language of this 2nd Anga, it is said in A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 431) :
"The most archaic language is to be found in the Ayāramga-Sutta, and next to this, in the Sūyagadamga-Sutta and the Uttarajjhayana. Ardha-magadhi is quite different from Jaina-Māhārāstrī, the dialect of the non-canonical Jaina texts."
As regards the authorship of both the suyakkhandhas the Jaina tradition is unanimous in believing it to be a work of one and the same Ganadhara. It seems Prof. Winternitz differs; for, in A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 438) he says :
"This Anga, too, consists of two books, the second of which is probably only an appendix, added later, to the old Anga which we have in the 1st book."
1, however, do not endorse this opinion especially when Prof. Schubring in his Worte Mahāvīras (p. 17 f.) observes that Suyagada (II, I) "is closely related to Āyāra I (Bambhacerāim) both in wording and mode of expression."I and when K. H. Dhruva attributes the authorship of both of these works to the same author.2
We may now note the contents of Süyagada.3 To begin with, we may quote Samavāya (s. 23) where the names of all the 23 ajjhayanas are given, since these names, being significant, help us in this direction :
__"तेवीसं सूयगडज्झयणा पन्नत्ता, तं जहा समए १ वेतालिए' २ उवसग्गपरिण्णा ३ थीपरिन्ना नरयविभत्ती ५ महावीरथुई ६ कुसीलपरिभासए ७ वीरिए ८ धम्मे ९ समाही १० मग्गे ११ समोसरणे १२ आहत्तहिए १३ गंथे १४ जमईए १५ गाथा १६० पुंडरीए १७ किरियाठाणा १८ आहारपरिण्णा १९ (अप)
1. See A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 441 n). 2. See p. 110, fn. 1. 3. "PLETENI 3931feita
" -Siddhasena Gani's com. (p. 82) on Tattvārtha 4. This name occurring in I, 2, 1, 22 is doubly interpreted in Süyagadanijjutti (v. 28): (i)
vaidārika or destroyer of karmans and (ii) vaitālika, the metre in which it is composed. 5. This title is explained in two ways: (i) indicating the opening words and (ii)
suggesting the śrnkhalābaddha-yamaka. The latter fact has been noted in Suyagadanijjutti as under, while its another title Ayānijja is being explained :
"जं पढमस्सऽन्तिमए बिइयस्स उ तं हवेज्ज आदिम्मि ।
एएणायाणिज्जं एसो अन्नो वि पज्जाओ ।।१३३॥" 6. In Samavāya (s. 16) the names of these 16 ajjhayanas are given with some slight
variation here and there with the opening words viz. "HITH 2 TET ISTITI YFI." Can We hereby infer that the generic title of each of the 16 ajjhayanas is Gāhā ?