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XX : GACCHĀCĀRA PRAKIRŅAKA
Although a certain amount of disagreement is noticed as far as the names and the numbers of the Prakīrnakas obtained from different sources is concerned, we notice that the Gacchācāra Prakirnaka has been mentioned in the list of twenty-two Prakīrnakas by Muni Śrī Punyavijayajī as well as in the list of ten Prakirnakas accepted as canonical texts amongst the fortyfive canonical works recognised as such by the White-clad Idolworshipping sect of Jainas. The Gacchācāra is also found clearly mentioned in another work by Jinaprabha - Viśālarāja's Vrtti on Siddhāntāgamastava." Thus, while the Gacchācāra Prakirnaka has not been mentioned in the lists found in the Nandīsūtra and the Pāksikasūtra, it is found clearly mentioned in the lists by Acārya Jinaprabha. It means that the Gacchācāra Prakirnaka is of a later origin than that of the Nandīsūtra and the Pāksikasūtra but of an earlier origin than the Vidhimārgaprapā.
Again, although the Prakirnakas enjoy a place of secondary importance in the scheme of canonical works, if we consider the linguistic ancientness and spirituality of contents of these works, sopne of these Prakīrnakas appear to be of an even more ancient origin than certain canonical texts. The Prakīrņakas like the Rsibhāsita, etc are even more ancient than the ancient canonical texts like the Uttarādhyayana and Daśavaikālika.!4 Hence, the importance of Gacchācāra in no way reduces by its
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“Vande Maranasamdhim Pratyākhyāne Mahā'-'turo papadel Samistāra-Candravedhyaka-Bhaktaparijñā-Catuhśaranam || 32 || Vīrastava-Devendrastava-Gacchācāramapica Ganividyām i Dvīpābdhiprajñaptim Tandulavaitālikam ca namuh || 33 || Quoted from ‘H.R. Kāpadiya, The Canonical Literature
Of The Jains', p. 51. About the ancientness of Rsibhăşita please see 'Rsibhāşita : Eka Adhyayana, Dr. Sagarmal Jain, Prākrta Bhāratī Samsthāna, Jaipur.
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