History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

SR No.: 006541
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hiralal R Kapadia, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 2010
Total Pages: 322
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & History
File Size: 17 MB

Page 36

GENESIS OF THE JAINA SCRIPTURES
This means that it now remains to examine the question of the works of the Pratyekabuddhas. Some of the ajjhayanas of Uttarajjhayana are said to be the works of some of the Pratyekabuddhas. Moreover, some of the works known as Painnagas (Prakīrṇakas) are attributed to them about which we shall refer to hereafter.
This rough discussion about the works that can be termed as Jaina scriptures, gives us an idea as to the number of works of which the genesis remains to be attempted. They are:
(1)
Āvassaya, (2) Dasaveyāliya, (3)
Uttarajjhayaṇa,
(4) Dasāsuyakkhandha, (5) Kappa, (6) Vavahāra, (7) Sūriyapanṇatti, (8) Pindanijjutti, (9) Ohanijjutti, (10) Cūliyās and (11) Pannavaṇā.
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It may be noted that out of these 11 works, the first three along with the 8th and the 9th form a group known as mulasutta (Mulasūtra). The 4th, 5th and the 6th are classed under the name of Cheyasutta, while the 7th and the 11th, under the name of the Uvanga. This will show that over and above the Jaina scriptures noted up till now, there are some more Jaina sacred works; for, the number of the Cheyasuttas as already stated is 5 or 6, and that of the Uvangas 12. No doubt, almost all of these works are anonymous, and it is very very difficult to ascertain their dates of composition. Even then an attempt must be made to examine their genesis, too; for, they are also, after all, Jaina scriptures, though perhaps not in the strictest sense. But as this chapter has already outswollen in size, I have to reserve this topic for a subsequent treatment. I may therefore conclude this chapter by mentioning only two facts as under :
(1) There are works known as Prakirṇakas. They were composed by the 14,000 disciples1 of Lord Mahāvīra the disciples who were endowed
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1 There is a difference of opinion as to whether these are the direct pupils of Lord Mahāvīra or the indirect ones, and as such they are not necessarily contemporaneous with Lord Mahāvīra. In this connection I may reproduce the following lines from Malayagiri Suri's com. (p. 208b) on Nandi :
" एके सूरयः प्रज्ञापयन्ति इदं किल चतुरशीतिसहस्रादिकं ऋषभादीनां तीर्थकृतां श्रमणपरिमाणं प्रधानसूत्रविरचनसमर्थान्
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