History Of Jainism With Special Reference To Mathura

SR No.: 022807
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: U K Sharma
Publisher: D K Printworld P L
Publication Year: 2001
Total Pages: 304
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 9 MB

Page 124

102
History of Jainism with Special Reference to Mathurā
and the Anuyogas.250 The Digambaras also call the Anuyogas as 'the four Vedas' 251
Background of the Jaina Councils
It has been already stated that according to the Jaina belief the Jaina canon was taught by Mahāvīra and the tīrthamkaras who preceded him. It is said that either the ganadharas of Mahāvīra252 or his chief disciple Indrabhūti Gautama arranged and classified his teachings into twelve principal divisions called the Anga.253 The most important of these angas was the twelfth; it was called the Drsti-pravāda and had five sections.254 The biggest and the most important of these five sections dealt with the pūrvas which were fourteen in number.255 According to the Svetāmbara tradition, the original Jaina doctrine was contained in the fourteen pūrvas or old texts, and this was taught by Mahāvīra to his ganadharas.256 Unfortunately, the knowledge of these texts was gradually lost257, and only a single ganadhara possessed the knowledge of the pūrvas.258 The work of the Jaina councils should be viewed in the light of these conditions.
The Council of Pāțaliputra
The loss of the Jaina canon is attributed to the terrible famine which occurred in Magadha during the reign of Candragupta Maurya. It has already been stated that due to famine conditions one section of the Jaina Church migrated to south India under the leadership of Bhadrabāhu, and the other preferred
**D: 491 80
250. HJM, pp. 35-8. 251. Ibid., p. 36; DJI, pp. 31-2. 252. LDJC, p. 32; HJM, p. 18. 253. JSAI, p. 14. 254. Ibid. 255. Ibid. 256. HJM, p. 18; LDJC, p. 32. 257. Ibid.; Ibid., JSAI, p. 14. 258. Ibid.; Ibid.