Scientific Foundations Of Jainism

SR No.: 022772
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: K V Mardia
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd
Publication Year: 1990
Total Pages: 146
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 125

APPENDIX 2
103
A.2.2 SECONDARY SCRIPTURES
The secondary scriptures (Anuyogas) supplement the older material and there are four parts just as if they were the four vedas of the Jains. These were mostly written by monk scholars.
(1) Prathamānuyoga (the primary exposition) deals with biographies of Tirthankaras.
(2) Karaṇānuyoga (exposition on technical matters) deals with ancient sciences such as cosmology and astrology.
(3) Caraṇānuyoga (exposition on discipline) is the most important work on Jain Yogas. It includes Hemacandra's Yogaśăstra (twelfth century) and Haribhadra's Dharmabindu (eighth century).
(4) Dravānuyoga (exposition on existents) includes the most important work, Tattvärtha-sutra, of Umāsvāti (second century). This work summarized concisely the whole of the Jain doctrinal system into about 350 verses. It is comparable to Patanjali's Yogasūtra by presenting the teaching in an integrated philosophical school. Other works included are of Siddhasena Diväkara's Nyāyāvatara and Sanmati-sütra (5th century) which are excellent works of logic. Yasovijaya (eighteenth century) represents the modern school of logic.
Our discussion is somewhat restricted to Svetambara. Digambara also believes that there were 60 texts with the above titles but believes that they are all lost. They possess some record leading to two important scriptures of the second century:- Şaṭkhaṇḍā gama (scriptures in six parts), and Kaṣāyaprabhṛta (Four-Passions'Gifts'). The work of Kundakunda (perhaps second century) is the most comprehensive which includes Samayasara, Niyamasāra and Pravacanasara. His tradition was continued in the sixth century by Pujyapada. The important commentary "Atmakhyāti" on Samayasāra by Amṛtacandra appeared in the twelfth century. Other representative writers to be mentioned are Jinasena (ninth century) and Somadeva (tenth century). Appropriate versions of Umãsvāti's work "Tattvärtha-sutra" (as well as Siddhasena's work on logic) are accepted by both sects. For further details, we refer to P.S. Jaini (1979, Chapter 2).
The first group of Agamas scriptures were written in Ardha Magadhi which was a Prakrit dialect of Magadha. The subsequent works are in Sanskrit, starting from the work of Umāsvāti. Thus, there is a vast literature available but it seems that Tattvartha-sutra of Umāsvāti can be regarded as the main philosophical text of the religion and is recognised as authoritative by all Jains. Part A of the Bibliography gives references to translations of a few important works.