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68
THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
In the latter case there was a reference to the Nāgārjunīya school.1
(iv) Practically the entire Jaina canonical literature was written
according to the version of the Mathurā council as a connected link. I use the word practically to denote that Joisakarandaga
is based upon the Vālabhī version. (v) Several vannaäs2 which were occurring in more than one Agama
were written out at full length only once, and then they were not reproduced ad verbatim a second time but only a reference
1. "Maarenteg f ra Ergo 1" · sīkā (p. 245) on Āyära
“Imetaflerts 982414977 HP HITT." - Ibid., p. 253 "maafteret hof-ut ato I" - Ibid p. 256 “Treffers you got ato ," . Ibid p. 303 "ENT arsitaret qof-HTOUT a Jaco". Tikä (p. 64a) on Süyagada "Anaftertg cofftier HR Farmforeto" - Ibid., p. 64b नागार्जुनीयास्तु पठन्ति एवम् –
“चतुद्धा संपदं लद्धं इहेव ताव भायते ।
des que fa a 9108 11". Cunni (p. 99) on Uttarajjhayana (III) नागार्जुनीयास्तु पठन्ति
foferi 4444 3TON J Potruga" . Ibid., p. 45 Vannaä (Sk. varnaka) means a description. This word is placed after any one of the following words or the like of which the description is to be supplied from the foregoing portion or another work:
A city, a sanctuary, a great forest, trees, a dais of earthen blocks, Jambu, Mahāvīra, a king, a queen, a dream, a gymnasium and the physical exercises, a bath-house, an audience-chamber, a palace and a procession.
It may be noted in this connection that at times legends related after a stereotyped pattern are often represented in the Jaina canon as a mere skeleton which the reader is left to fill in with set words and phrases like clichés. As observed in A History of Indian Literature (Vol. II, p. 450, fn. 3) "we find something similar in the canon of the Sarvāstivādins.” Furthermore, there on p. 280,fn. it is said : "Clichés of the same kind, also occur in the Bengali poems, s. Dinesh Chandra Sen, History of Bengali language and literature, p. 585 f.”
2.
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