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The text discusses the origin and number of verses in the "Sapttatika," a Jain text. It suggests that the text was likely composed during a time when various Jain doctrines were prevalent. While the first verse describes it as a "drop" of the "Dristibad Anga," commentators attribute its origin to the fourth "Prabhat" of the fifth "Vastu" of the "Agraniyya Purva." This suggests its inclusion in the original literature.
The text further argues that the "Sapttatika" encapsulates the essence of the "Karma Siddhanta" (theory of karma), making it a fundamental text. However, there is disagreement regarding the number of verses in the "Sapttatika." This particular edition contains 72 verses, but other editions have varying counts.
The name "Sapttatika" (meaning "seven-seven") is derived from the number of verses, but the final verses seem to indicate the conclusion of the main topic, suggesting that they might not be included in the original count.
Different editions have different numbers of verses: 61 in the edition published by Shri Jan Shreyaskar Mandal, 64 in the edition published in the fourth part of "Prakarana Ratnakar," and 72 in the edition published by Shri Atmanand Jain Granthamala with Acharya Malayagiri's commentary. An edition with "Chuni" (commentary) lists 71 verses.
The variation in verse count is attributed to Gujarati commentators incorporating inter-textual verses into the original text and including verses deemed useful for the topic.