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JAIN HISTORY LITERATURE and SECTS
Synchronous with the council at Mathura, Ächärya Nägärjun convened a council of monks at Vallabhi (Saurashtra) and tried to collect and arrange the Ägams. Then they were written down and the recension was prepared after having corrected lengthy portions according to the context. The Vächanäis called the Nägärjun Vächanä as well.
Third Vächanä in Vallabhipur (Third Recension):
150 years after the councils presided over by Skandil and Nägärjun at Mathura and Vallabhi respectively, a council of monks presided over by Kshamä-shraman Devardhi-gani was held at Vallabhi (Saurashtra). It was decided to document all available Prakirna Sutras, and preserve the Anga and other Sutras that were documented in the two former councils. In addition, the council was to bring uniformity in the Sutras as far as possible by resolving the differences in Sutras. Of course, the most important differences were documented in Churnis and Tikäs.
This task was accomplished 980 years after Bhagawan Mahavir's Nirvana. After that event, the text of most of the Ägam works available at present was finalized to the present time.
03 Classification of Jain Ägams
E02 Jain Scriptures and Literature
Both the Shvetämbars and the Digambars unanimously agree on the point that the Purva works have become extinct. However, there are several works which refer to the Purvas. The Shatakhand-ägam and the Kashaya-präbhruta have been composed by the Digambar Ächäryas on the basis of the Purva works. Many literatures recognized as Ägams by the Shvetämbars also have their source in the Purvas. At the present time the following 45 Ägams are available that are acceptable to Shvetämbar Murtipujak tradition. Classification of Shvetämbar Agams
11 Angas (the 12th Anga Ägam one is lost long back),
12 Upangas Agam,
04 Mool Sutras Ägam,
06 Chheda Sutras Ägam,
10 Prakirna Ägam and
02 Chulikäs Ägam.
Classification of Digambar Agams
In the absence of authentic Ägam Sutras, Digambars practice the Jain religion by following the literature written by the great Ächäryas from 100 to 1000 AD. It includes:
Shatakhand Ägam (First Main text)
Kashaya Pähuda (Second Main text)
Four Anuyogas (Prathmanuyoga, Charananuyoga, Ganitanuyoga or Karananuyoga, and Dravyanuyoga)
Note Four Anuyogas consist of more than 20 texts; such as Samaysär, Panchästikäya, and Pravachansär of Ächärya Kunda-Kunda, Tattvärtha Sutra of Umäsvämi, Padma-Purän, Ädi-Purän, Mulächär, and Gommatsär.
04 Purvas
There were fourteen Purvas and they were huge. As explained before that these 14 Purvas are the part of 12th Ang Agam called Drashtiväda.
The First Purva is written with a volume of the ink equivalent to the size of one elephant. The Second one was two times larger, and the third one was two times larger than second one and so on. Here is the list and its subject matter:
No. Name of Purva
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Subject matter
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
