Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

SR No.: 011077
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company
Publication Year: 1947
Total Pages: 429
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 42

40
LIFE IN ANCIENT INDLA
and how far they were epitomised in the present Niryuktis.42 The Nujuttus served as the foundation for several other later commentaries. The following are tie ten Nijjuttis : (1) Ayārānga, (2) Süyagadanga, (3) Suriyapannattı, (4) Uttarāghayana, (5) Avassaya, (6) Dasaveyalıya, (7) Dasasuyakkhandha, (8) Kappa, (9) Vavahāra and (10) Isıbhāsiya. The tradition is unanimous in attributing the authorship of the Nuuttis to Bhadrabāhu, who seems to be different from Bhadrabāhu, the last Srutakevalın, who died 170 years after Mahāvīra's death (2.., 297 B.C.), and who was the author of the Cheda Sūtras.
When we study the contents of the Nijuttus we notice that they refer to the later traditions. For instance, the Uttarādhyayana Niryuktı 48 refers to the story of the Bhadrabāhu's four disciples, and gakatāla and Sthūlabhadra, and the Avasyaka Niryukta 44 to Bhadragupta, Arya Simhagiri, Vajraswāmin, Tosaliputrācārya, Arya Rakşita, Phalgurakşıta and others, who were the successors of Bhadrabāhu. We also find a reference here to the origin of the Digambaras and the seven schisms in the Jain Church which undoubtedly represents the tradition much later than Bhadrabāhu, the author of the Cheda Sūtras.45 ,
(2) Bhāsa
After Nujjutti, comes Bhāsa, the next chronological stage of development in the commentarial literature on the Jain Canons. Like Nujutti, the Bhāsas were also written in Prākrta verses. However, it should be Loted, that a number of verses of Ninjutli and Bhäsa have so much intermingled with each other that it is difficult to distinguish them from one another. This is corroborated by the statement in the Commentary on the Brhatkapla Bhasya48 by Malayagiri. Similarly, the verses of the Bhäsya on the Dasaveyālıya have been incorporated in its Niryuktz47 and the same muddle is noticed regarding the verses of the Bhásya on the Joassaya sutta and its Nijuttı.48
The following eleven Āgamas seem to have contained their Bhāsas : (1) Avassaya, (2) Dasaveyaliya, (3) Uttarajghayana (4) Kappa (5) Pañcakappa (6) Vavahāra (7) Nisīha (8) Pancamangalasuyakkhandha (9) Fiyakappa (10) Oha Nijutti and (11) Pinda Nijjutrz 40 The Bhāsas on the Bhal
41 Prof A M Ghatage's arucle "The Dasas aikälika Niryukti," p 629, IHQ, Vol , XI 1935
48 91, 100, 44 764-776, also cf Utlară. Nur. 96f
46 See Muni Punya Vijaya's learned article in the Jlalaiva Jar Vidyalaya Rajutu Juhof. sada Smāraka Grantha, 1915-40 ; Jarl Charpentier's Introduction to the Ullaradhyayara Sūtra, p 49 f. Bhadrabāhu, the author of the Neujutis is placed in the fourth century AD (See Prof. Ghatage, op all) However, according to Leumann, the Ninjuttis were compiled in about 80 AD. Schubring, op. cit., p 60)
18 Puthika, P 2. 47 P 278.
48 See H. R. Kapadia, op. cit., p. 172; Prof. A. M. Ghatage's article on Sūtraktånga Niryukti in I.H.Q., Vol. XII, 1936, p. 270 ff.
19 See H. R. Kapadia, op. ch., p. 187.