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64
FOREWORD
The author of the Pañcakalpabháşyacūrņi is of the opinion that Ācāraprakalpa (i.e. Niśītha) is the systematic arrangement of the material taken from the ninth Pūrva, this systematic arrangement done by Rev. Bhadrabāhu.
Order of Chapters: As we know, the first Sruta-skandha of the Ācārāngasūtra contains nine chapters. The seventh one is known by the name of Mahāparijñā. Its study was not prevalent in the days of the author of the Ācārāngacūrni. That is, it did not find place in the curriculum of Jaina monks in his days. This can be gathered from his remark : 'sampatam mahāparinnā na padhijjai' (='here ends Mahāparinnā which is not studied). And in the days of Sīlācārya it was lost. This is clearly stated by Śīācārya. He says: 'tac ca vyucchinnam' (= and it is completely destroyed'). (See p. 69, f.n. 1.)
The order of the first six chapters of the first Śruta-skandha, which is accepted in the Ācārānganiryukti and the other commentaries is the same as is found mentioned in the Samavāyangasūtra and the other similar works. But there is difference of opinion regarding the order of the remaining three chapters of the first Śruta-skandha.
In the second śruta-skandha the first cūlă contains seven chapters, the second one which is named Saptaika also contains seven chapters and the third and the fourth cūlās contain one chapter each. Thus in all there are sixteen chapters in the second śruta-skandha. Among the seven chapters of the second cūlā, according to the author of the Ācārängacūrņi, the fourth one is Rūpasaptaika and the fifth one is Śabdasaptaika. He mentions as well as comments on them in this order. But Silācārya and other commentators reverse the order of these two chapters. For them Sabdasaptaika is the fourth chapter and Rūpasaptaika is the fifth one. They comment on them in this order. (See p. 239, f.n. 1; p. 247, f.n. 8.)
Extent: In the Scriptures it is mentioned that the extent of the first Śruta-skandha is equal to eighteen thousand padas. The term 'pada' is technical. The extent of the Ācārāngasūtra has been reduced on account of the loss of some portion of the text with the passage of time. This is what has happened in the case of the extent of other Sūtras too. At present the measure of one anustup śloka is 32 letters. And in measuring the extent of a particular text this anuştup sloka is taken as a unit of measurement. The remark “granthågra 800' occurs at the end of the first Sruta-skandha in
ato ms. This remark enables us to infer that the extent of the text of the first śruta-skandha is 800 anuştup ślokas. The extent of the complete text of the Acärängasūtra is given differently in different mss. Some mss. give 2,454, some 2,554 some 2,644 and some 2,654 ślokas as the extent of the complete text of the Ācārängasūtra.
Sabdangacūrni, the of the seco
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