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Jaina Agamic Literature
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The Digambara Jaina sect maintained that after the famine, the entire Jainacanonical literature (Āgama Sūtras) became extinct. However the Svetāmbara sect believed that only fourteen Pūrvas were forgotten but the significant portion of the remaining Agama Sūtras were remembered by their ascetics and hence they doucumented the Āgama Sūtras(canonical literature) as remembered by them at various time.
Jaina history indicates that during the course of time, Svetāmbara ascetics held three conferences for the preservation of the Jaina canonical, commentaries on canonical, and noncanonical literature. The documentation occurred during second and third conferences. Name of City
Time 1. Patliputra
@320 B.C. 2. Mathură and Valabhi @380 A.D. 3. Valabhi
@520 A.D. Around 1400 to 1600 A.D. the Svetãmbara sect also divided into three subsects known as Svetambara Mūrtipūjaka, Sthānakvāsi, and Teräpanthi, Differences also exist among all three Svetämbara Jaina sects in their acceptence of the validity and interpretations of the documented Jaina scriptures (Agama Sūtras) and other literature.
Jaina Literature
Jaina literature is classified into two major categories : 1. Agama or Canonical Literature (Agama Sūtras)
Agama literature consists of many texts, which are the sacred books of the Jaina religion. They are written in the Ardha-māgadhi
Prāksta language. 2. Non-āgama Literature
Non-agama literatrue consists of commentary and explanation of Agama literature, and independent works compiled by ascetics and scholars. They are written in many languages such as Prākrta, Sanskrta, Apabhrams, Old Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannad, Tamil, German, and English.
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