Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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The rest of the Angabahya texts are known to belong to the fifth canonical stage. The main branches of knowledge have all come out and the trends of the currents of thought therein can be roughly grasped from the contents expressed in the T.S. of Uma svati, a non-canonical text, that crowns the achievements made in various subject fields by the late middle 5th century A.D. How the epistemological interest of the then Jainas took its course is learnt from the Nandi and Anuyoga, including some Niryukti texts that are also noncanonical works belonging to the late 5th century A.D. How karma doctrine was progressing is known again from the non-canonical works such as the Kasayaprabhta and Satkhandagama, the latter of which appeared in the immediate post-canonical period. Then the Kalpa and a part of the Nandi represent the works relevant to the establishment of Jaina church chronology, and the Ava'syakasutra finalized the ritual formulae of the daily observances of ascetics and householders. All the branches of knowledge blossomed in a quick pace in the final canonical stage as a whole.
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After the Third Valabhi Canonical Convention, the Great Schism took place which divided the Jaina church into two. The canonical age was followed by the commentarial period on the Svetambara side and by the prakarana period on the Digambara side, and the age of logie started in both camps at the same time. The grounds for this direction in the immediately succeeding postcanonical period were all laid in the final canonical stage.