Sramana 1996 01

SR No.: 525025
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Ashok Kumar Singh
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi
Publication Year: 1996
Total Pages: 122
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Sramana, & India
File Size: 6 MB

Page 100

श्रमण
Premi
Yāpaniya Sect : An Introduction
Prof. Sagarmal Jain
Trans. : Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh In Jainism, two sects namely Svetāmbara and Digambara are known but in past, there also flourished one other prominent sect Yāpanīya. This sect had a long and continued existence, spreading as it did over a period of 11 hundred years from c. fifth century A. D. to 15th century. This sect, significantly, contributed, by founding temples, producing a number of literary works in Jaina Saurasenī. Till 50 years ago Jaina community as well as scholars were totally in dark about this sect. Thanks to researches, since then, which brought to light some epigraphs and texts, pertaining to Yāpanīya Sangh. Yet todate, no literature worth the name, on this sect, except a few articles and monographs has been brought out. Prof. A. N. Upadhye and Pt. Nathuram
i paved the way for future researches by their articles. But there has been no commendable follow up to their effort except the work of Kusum Patoria - Yāpanīya Aur Unakā Sāhitya.? I came across this work, when I was going through the proofs of the first chapter of my work entitled “Jainadharma Kā Yāpaniya Sampradāya”. I made full use of her work in my final writing of other chapters at various places, though our conculsions vary about the different facets of Yāpanîya sect.
The knowledge of this sect because of its being capable of bridging the differences between Svetāmbaras and Digambaras, may be beneficial in integrating the Jaina community. However, it is surprising that nearly 600 years ago, having survived for more than one thousand years, it went into oblivion and virtually became part of history, with no followers left. Only shrines, images and literature left by it, are its memoirs. In the forthcoming discussion, my object is to present a systematic account, corroborated by evidences, of this prominent sect, inheriting compromising tendency, to draw the attention and to generate interest among scholars towards this sect. Meaning of the Word Yāpaniya
Owing to variations in dialects and pronunciations, various