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Jain Education International
The Kalpsutra has been thus recited as an almost independent work for centuries. This has led to its being called a Sutra, a canon in its own right. It came to be known as Paryuṣaṇa Kalpasūtra and subsequently just Kalpasútra. Another work, a canonic text of the Cheda class, also bears the name Kalpasitra this work has been renamed Brhat Kalpasütra in order to distinguish it from our
present text.
The Kalpasitra is also known popularly as the Satra with 1200 or 1250 slokas, because its number of syllables measure that amount.
Form and Content
The Kalpasitra is mostly in prose. It has been divided into 291 sutras or paragraphs. It has three distinct sections, each with a different subject matter:
1. Jina Caritra: covering 200 sutras.
2. Sthaviravali: with 23 sūtras
3. Sadhu Samäcärl: having 68 sutras.
1. Jina Caritra
This section describes the lives of the Tirthankaras. It begins with Bhagavan Mahavira and goes back to Arhat Ṛşabha, the first Tirthankara. The lives of Mahavira, Aristanemi and Rşabha are described at some length. Attention is focused on what have been called 'the five prime events' of their lives: namely, their descent from a heavenly existence, birth, initiation into the monastic life, attainment of the highest kevala-knowledge and, finally, nirvana. A list of the chief family-members of these Tirthankaras is also given. Mahavira's life has more details than others. It not only contains a detailed account of the above five prime events, but much more besides. This extra material includes the episode of his transfer from one womb to another at the instigation of Indra.
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