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Jaina Agamic Literature
237
However, other Jaina scriptures and literature have reference of the subject matter of the Pūrvas.
The Digambara Jaina sect also believes that the other remaining eleven Anga-āgamas were gradually lost. All Svetāmbara Jains believe that the eleven Anga-āgamas were remembered by their ascetics and were properly documented by them during the last two conferences that were held in Mathurā and Valabhi around one thousand years after Lord Mahavira's nirvana.
Anga-bāhya-āgamas (outside of Anga-āgamas):
Monks who had knowledge of minimum of ten Pūrvas were known as Śruta-kevlis. They possessed the total knowledge of reality (soul, matter, their relationship etc.) through scriptures. The śruta-kevlis wrote many texts (sūtras) expanding the subject matter of the Anga-āgamas. Collectively these texts are called Anga-bāhya-āgamas meaning outside of Anga-agamas.
Jaina sects
Number of Anga-bahyaāgama Recognized
Number of Anga-băhya. agama Lost
Number of Anga-bāhya-agama Survived
Digambara
14
Svetämbara Mūrtipūjaka
34
Svetämbara Sthanakvási
Svetămbara Teräpanthi
12
The Digambara sect believes that all Anga-bāhya-āgamas were also gradually lost starting about two hundred years after Lord Mahāvira's nirvāna. Hence in its opinion, the complete Jaina āgama literature is lost within few hundred years after Lofd Mahăvira's nirvana.
Classification of Anga-bāhya-āgamas
The Śvetāmbara sect has divided Anga-bāhya-Agamas into the following categories :
Upānga-sūtras or Upānga-āgamas :
The scriptures, which provide further explanation of Anga-āgamas, are called Upānga-agamas.
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