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## Nineteenth Uddeshak
[409]
The term "Shruta" as used in the definition of "Agam" (sutra) is very limited. Currently, the tradition is to refer to 32 Shragam or 45 Agam, which includes many Agam in addition to the sutra as defined, and some commentary texts are also counted as sutras, such as Shakti etc.
Shruta composed by a Jnani from ten Purva to one Purva can also be considered Samyak and can be called Agam. This is clear from the list of Utkalik Shruta and Kalik Shruta in the Nandi Sutra. The author of the Nandi Sutra accepted the 72 sutras available at the time of its composition as Shragam. Among them are also Shruta composed or compiled by many one-Purva holders, who were Bahushruta.
Therefore, it is only prejudice to not consider those 72 sutras, which are available and have not undergone any significant alteration or damage, as Agam. This also clearly shows the disrespect towards the author of the Nandi Sutra. It is also not appropriate to consider those 72 sutras as pure Pragam, which have been interpolated with formulations contrary to the fundamental principles of Ahimsa etc.
It is completely inappropriate to insist on considering other sutras, texts, commentaries, bhashyas, niyukti, churni, nibandhagranth or samaachari-granth etc. as Shragam or equivalent to Shragam, apart from those 72 sutras.
It is certain that at the time of the composition of the Nandi Sutra, no other sutras, texts or commentary texts composed by previous holders were available. If some were available, they would have been included in the Shruta list, as this list also includes Shruta composed by unknown authors and many one-Purva holders. Therefore, there can be no reason to not mention in any form the Shruta composed by many Purva holders or 14 Purva holders, which were available. Therefore, it is clear that all other sutras, commentaries, texts etc. were composed after the composition of the Nandi Sutra. However, due to the corruption of historical accounts, there are prevalent misconceptions that commentary texts were also composed by fourteen Purva holders etc.
In the present Prayashchitta Sutra, one should understand the evidence of three prishchas, i.e., 9 shlokas, regarding the study of the available Kalik Sutras among the Agam mentioned in the Nandi Sutra.
The twelfth Ang Sutra, called Drishtivad, is currently fragmented. Therefore, the evidence of 7 prishchas, i.e., 21 shlokas, should not be understood for any currently available sutra. Even for those sutras which are extracted (uddhrit sankalit) from Drishtivad and are Kalik Sutras, one should understand the evidence of only three prishchas [9 shlokas] due to their becoming independent laghusutras.
If it is necessary to pronounce the original text of these sutras in Utkal, then there is no Prayashchitta for pronouncing 9 shlokas together. Pronouncing more than this amount of text will incur the Prayashchitta mentioned in the sutra.