Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
A deep study of the indexes found in both the Nandī Sūtra and the Samavāyāṅga reveals that the list of Āgama topics in the Nandī Sūtra is very concise, while the list in the Samavāyāṅga is very detailed. It is clearly indicated that there is an increase of one hundred and one in both the Nandī and the Samavāyāṅga, but there is no indication of an increase of many. In the Nandī Cūrṇi, Jinadāsagaṇi Mahātara, in the Nandī Haribhadrīyā Vṛtti, Ācārya Haribhadra, and in the Vṛtti of the Nandī, Ācārya Malayagiri, have not indicated any increase of many. Ācārya Abhaydeva has mentioned an increase of many in the Samavāyāṅga Vṛtti. According to Ācārya Abhaydeva, there is an increase of one hundred and one, and after that, there is an increase of many. The opinion of the learned is that the commentator has not mentioned this based on the description of the Samavāyāṅga, but has described it based on the text found in the Samavāyāṅga.
It is natural to wonder if the introduction of the Samavāyāṅga given in the Nandī Sūtra is different from the Samavāyāṅga available today, or if the Samavāyāṅga that is available today is not from the recitation of Devardvigani Kṣamāśramaṇa. If it were, why would there be a difference in the two descriptions? The solution is that the description of the Samavāyāṅga in the Nandī ends with the description of the Dvādaśāṅgī. However, the Samavāyāṅga that is available today presents many topics beyond the Dvādaśāṅgī. Therefore, it is different from the description of the Samavāyāṅga in the Nandī in terms of its size. We have clarified in the introduction to the Staānaṅga Sūtra that there were five recitations of the Āgamas after Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra. Ācārya Abhaydeva has mentioned the great recitation of the present Āgama in the Vṛtti of the present Āgama. From this, it can be inferred that the introduction of the Samavāyāṅga given by Devavācaka in the Nandī may have been given from the perspective of the small recitation.
Regarding the expanded size of the Samavāyāṅga, some wise men have made two inferences. It cannot be said for certain how far both these inferences are based on truth and fact. In my view, if the Samavāyāṅga were from a separate recitation, there would certainly be some echoes of it somewhere in the ancient literature. But there is no such echo regarding the Samavāyāṅga. For example, the Jyotiṣakaraṇḍa text is from the Māthurī recitation, but there is nothing like that regarding the Samavāyāṅga. Therefore, the first inference of the learned is only an inference. It lacks reality. Regarding the second inference, it is humbly submitted that the Bhagavatī Sūtra indicates the need to look at the last part of the Samavāyāṅga regarding the complete description of the Kulkaras and Tīrthaṅkaras, etc. Similarly, the Staānaṅga also instructs to look at the last part of the Samavāyāṅga for the complete description of Baldeva and Vasudeva. This discussion makes it clear that the appendix section in the Samavāyāṅga has been added to the Samavāyāṅga by Devardvigani Kṣamāśramaṇa.
It is a matter of investigation for the researcher that if Devardvigani Kṣamāśramaṇa is the compiler of both the Nandī and the Samavāyāṅga, then why did he not maintain uniformity in the descriptions given in both the Āgamas? Why were two types of descriptions given? The solution is that many recitations have taken place from time to time. Due to many recitations, there are many different texts, words, and relationships, and there is an increase of one hundred and one, and then an increase of many.
- Samavāyāṅga Vṛtti, page 105 7. Bhagavatī Sūtra, Śataka 5, U. 5, page 826 - Part 2 Sailāna (M.P.) and where the Samavāyāṅga is without any residue...
- Staānaṅga 9, Sūtra 672, Muni Kanhaiyalalji 'Kamal' [18]