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SHRUT-STHAVIR-MUNIPRANEET PRATHAM UPANGA
AUPAPATIK SUTRA
(The First Upanga Created By Accomplished Senior Ascetics)
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INTRODUCTION Aupapatik Sutra is the first among the Upangas (the auxiliary explanatory works to the twelve Angas or the main corpus of the Jain canonical texts. This consists of twelve treatises having the group name Anga. Eleven of these are extant according to the Shvetambar tradition). Aupapatik Sutra occupies the same position among the Upangas that Acharanga occupies among the Angas. It is mainly a descriptive narrative composed in highly ornamental and literary style. It has two sections—(1) Samavasaran, and (2) Upapat. Explaining the title 'Upapať Acharya Abhayadev Suri mentions—“As it contains the description of instantaneous births (upapat) in divine and infernal dimensions, as also of attaining the Siddha status, it is called Aupapatik.”
The most important attribute of this Agam is that, no matter what subject has been discussed, it includes all possible details presented in highly ornate and lucid style. It abounds in most appropriate and beautiful analogies and metaphors. Going through it appears as if one is reading an epic. No other Agam contains such detailed and beautiful description. That is the reason that even in elaborate works like Prajnapana Sutra and Bhagavati Sutra this work is referred to (jaha ovavaie' or refer to Aupapatik) at places where descriptions are needed. The vivid and ornate description of each and every limb and part of the body of Bhagavan Mahavir from head to toe, with the help of a variety of the team fitting metaphors and analogies, is found in no other work but this.
This book starts with the description of the beauty of the city of Champa, the capital of Anga state; power and grandeur of king Kunik, beauty of his queen Dharini, and the arrival of Bhagavan Mahavir in Champa.
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औपपातिकसूत्र
(4)
Aupapatik Sutra
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