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This Samvayanga mentions the Kulkaras. While the Stanangasutra mentions the names of ten Kulkaras of the past Utsarpini, the Samvayanga mentions seven names, and there are differences in the names. Kulkaras were the administrators of an era when humans were completely free from family, social, political, and economic bonds. They had no worries about food or clothing. They obtained their desired objects from trees. They lived independent lives. They were extremely low in kshaya (passions) by nature. In that era, there were elephants, horses, cows, bulls, and animals in the forests, but they did not use those animals. Economically, there was neither a श्रेष्ठी (superior) nor an अनुचर (follower). There was no fear of diseases like today. They remained free from desires throughout their lives. In the twilight of their lives, they became husband and wife, merging as brother and sister, and gave birth to a child as a couple of one man and one woman. They nurtured them for 49 days and then died. Their death also occurred without pain, just with a yawn and a sneeze. This was the life of the Yauglik period. By the end of the third Ara, the Yauglik-Maryadas (rules) gradually began to be destroyed in the third division. Cravings increased, and the power of the Kalpa trees began to decline. At that time, some special individuals were born who managed the system. They were called Kulkaras. The first Kulkaras appeared when 1/8th of the third Ara remained. There have been differences of opinion in various texts regarding the number of Kulkaras. The 227th and final Kulkar was "Rishabh", the son of Nabhi, who was also the first Tirthankara. His son was Bharat Chakravarti. Tirthankara Rishabh established the Dharmachakra, while Bharat Chakravarti established the Rajya-chakra. In the fourth Ara, twenty-three Tirthankaras, eleven Chakravartis, nine Baldevs, nine Vasudevas, and Prativa-sudevas, etc., were born.
Thus, we see that the Samvayanga is a collection of many important facts for inquisitive seekers and researchers. It is extremely important from the perspective of Vस्तु-विज्ञान (science of objects), Jain principles, and Jain history. It contains over a hundred topics. Modern thinkers argue that the Samvayanga was composed after Lord Mahavira attained liberation, based on the 92-year lifespan of Ganadhar Gautam and the 100-year lifespan of Ganadhar Sudharma mentioned in the Samvayanga. In response to their argument, we would humbly request that the ages of the Ganadharas, etc., were compiled by Devarddigni Kshamashraman. I have also discussed this issue in detail in the introduction to the Stananga. It is a complete historical truth that this Agam is Ganadhar-created.
This Agam is primarily in prose, but there are also verses in between, related to names and other details. It is also important from the perspective of commentary. There is use of figures of speech in some places. There is also mention of Lord Parshva and his fourteen predecessors, Avadhijnani, and special knowledgeable monks, supported by numbers, which is important from a historical perspective.
Comparative Study
The Samvayanga Sutra contains a greater collection of various topics than other Agams. The Bhagavati Sutra is rich in content and also vast in size. The Samvayanga Sutra is very small in size. Just as Vishnu Muni measured the vast universe with three steps, so is the situation of the Samvayanga. If we compare the topics found in the Samvayanga Sutra with other Agam literature, it will be easily known that the Vyavahar Sutra rightly states that the knower of Stananga and Samvayanga is the Acharya and
227. Jambudvipaprajnapti, in the second Vakshaskara, mentions fifteen Kulkaras, while the Digambar text "Siddhant-Sangrah" mentions fourteen Kulkaras. [54]