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About the Bhagavati Sutra
The Bhagavati Sutra, also called Vihayapannatti, is a massive work, an encyclopaedia of diverse themes, scientific as well as theological, known to the human mind, much bigger in size than many of the Jaina Agamas taken together. The Sutra in its present form has come from Vira Samvat 980 (approximately A. D. 553 ) according to Skandila and from Vira Samvat 893 ( A.D. 466) according to the followers of Nagarjuna. Abhayadeva Suri wrote a vrtti on the Bhagavati in A.D. 1071. In his Jina-ratnakosa H.D. Velankar mentions of 10 more Commentaries on this Sutra.
According to B.C. Law, the Bhagavati Sutra is a "Jaina Canonical mosaic of various texts". Winternitz has described it "a motley mixture of ancient doctrines and traditions with numerous later additions". W. Schubring has compartmentalised the whole Sutra into several groups of 'uniform content'. Whatever the view taken by individual scholars, there is no doubt that the Bhagavati is the most outstanding contribution of the Jainas to the intellectual world for all times.
