________________
etc. Angas were composed, the Dristiwada was given in the form of the twelfth Anga.
56
Though the two different accounts', such as, 'readers of the twelve Angas' and 'readers of the fourteen Purwas' are found, it cannot be said that the scholars in the fourteen Purwas were not scholars in the twelve Angas and vice-versa. Gautama Swami was called Dwadasangavit. He was a 'caturdasa-pūrvi' as well as 'Angadhara'. A 'śruta-kewali was somewhere called 'Dwadasangavit and sometimes 'caturdaśa-pûrvi' as well.
As the eleven Angas are taken from or a collection of the Purwas, a 'caturdasa-pürvi' is, of course, a 'Dwadasangi' also. As the fourteen Purwas are incorporated in the twelfth Anga, a 'Dwadaśängavit' too. We, therefore, reach this conclusion that the Agama had only two ancient classifications 1. the Fourteen Purwas and 2. the eleven Angas. The 'Dwadasangi' had no independent standing. This is the title given to the Pürwas and the Angas jointly.
Some modern scholars hold the Parwas, to be of the period of lord Pārśwa and the Angas of lord Mahavira. But this view is not correct. The tradition of the Purwas and the Angas was prevelent at the time of lord Arişṭanemi and lord Parśwa too. That the Angas were composed for the use of less intelligent people has been told before. That the intelligence quotient of all the Munis at the time of lord Parśwa was equal is incredible. The intelligence quotients have always differed in each and every age. Considering from the psychological and practical view, we reach the conclusion that the necessity of the Angas prevailed in the order of lord Pariwa too. To support this view that at the time of lord Pärśwa only the Purwas and not the Angas existed, no evidence is, therefore, found. By common sense this fact is estabilished that the Purwas and the Angas were renovated according to the purport, language, style and necessity of the age in the order of lord Mahavira. Fancy has, perhaps, played a main role to support the view that the Purwas were received traditionally from lord Pärswa and the Angas were composed in the tradition of Lord Mahavira.
3. Anga-Pravişta and Anga-Vähya
It is heard by all that the gapadharas Gautama etc., composed the Purwas and the Angas at the time of lord Mahavira. A simple question
1. See the beginning of the preface. 11ttaradhvavana 23/7
2
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