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XII : GACCHĀCĀRA PRAKĪRNAKA
the āgamas of the Jaina tradition could not keep their linguistic character unaltered as the Vedas have been able to do over the millennia. This is the reason that the Jaina canonical literature got divided into two streams, namely the Arddhamāgadhi canons and the Sauraseni canons. Of these, the Arddhamāgadhi canonical literature is not only more ancient but also closer to the original language in whic': Lord Mahāvīra preached. The development of the sauraseni canonical literature was also based on these Arddhamāgadhĩ canons. The Arddhamāgadhi canonical literature was also compiled and edited over a period of ncarly a thousand years -from the time of Lord Mahāvīra to 980 or 993 Vīrābda (reckoned from the date of Lord Mahāvīra's Nirvana). when they were rendered in their present form in the l'alabhi conclave assembled for the purpose. Therefore, it is quite possible that these were also modified, altered and enlarged by various preceptors during this period.
In the ancient times the Arddhamāgadhi canonical literature was divided into two categorics, namely the Arigapravista (Canon included) and the Arigabāhya (Canon cxcluded). The Arigapravista category includes eleven Anga Agamas (Ariga included or Primary canons, which are based on the sermons of the Tīrtharkaras and are composed by their principal disciples) and the Drstivāda while the Angabāhya Āgamas (Arga excluded or other than Primary canons) include all the other canonical scriptures that were considered to be the compositions of the Srutakevalis or Canon-omniscients who were fully learned in all canonical knowledge and the Pūrvadhara sthaviras (Elder monks in the know of the fourteen Pūrvas or the Pre-canons - fourteen Purvas were a part of the twelfth Ariga Agama, Drstivāda). In the Nandīsūtra, these Arigabāhya canons have been further subdivided into Avasyaka (Essential) and
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