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ASITA-DEVALA IN ISIBHĀSIYĀI
Lollanji Gopal
The Isibhāsiyāi (Rşibhasitāni) is one of the most ancient Jaina āgamic works. The Thänānga (Sthanānga)mentions it as the third chapter of the Panhāvägaranāim (Praf navyākarana), the tenth anga. But the text of the Paṇhāvägaraņāim, being a postGupta replacement of the original, does not contain this chapter. The Samavāyangas also knows the Isibhāsiyāi and describes it as containing forty-four ajjhayaņa (adhyayana). This tallies with the form of the Isibhäsiyai which has fortyfive sections. 4 The text evidently was of considerable significance to the Jainas, because the scholiast, who wrote the Āvassayani sjutti (Avaš yaka-niryukti) (erroneously taken as the celebrity, Bhadrabāhu), expresses his resolve to write a nijjutti on it also. 5 The Süyagada (Sütrakrtānga) names certain earlier "Mahāpurusa Arhats" who evidently belonged to the Vedic tradition and achieved the position of Arhats by resorting to ways and practices which generally are not approved by Jainism. The term iha used here refers to Jaina canonical literature. But the author of the commentary explains it to signify Rşibhāṣita and other texts (Rşibhāṣitādau). The text commanded respect in Jaina literature. It was accepted as a kaliya text which, though not included in the angas, was approved for the study hours in the daily time-table.?
On the basis of 'numerous indisputably genuine early reminiscences in language and style' Schubring places it in the category of the most ancient Jaina āgamas such as the Ayūra (Acāra, particularly its first part, the Bambhacerāim), the Süyagada (Sūtrakrta), the Uttarajjhāyā (Uttaradhyayana and the Dasaveyaliya (Daf avaikälika). The Isibhāsiyāi doubtless has parallels in language and expression with these four texts. In the number of stanzas, the predominance of Slokas and the extant of prose the Isibhā siyai is closest to the Dasaveyaliya; in the diversity of the metres it is like the Dasaveyaliya, Uttarajjhāyā and Süyagada. Like the Bambhacerāim, our text is characterized by an intermingling of prose with verse, in which 'whole stanzas, half stanzas and single pādas alternate with unmetrical executions'.
The author of the text, as ascertained by Schubring, was close to Jina Påráva from the doctrinal standpoint. This is indicated by the greater importance given to Parśva in devoting a rather long passage for expounding his dictum.10 The text, moreover, does not separate the fourth and fifth vows separately as was the case with the Caturyāma-dharma preached by Pārsva before Vardhamāna Mahävira. The Isibhāsiyai was evidently still under the influence of Pārsva. It fuses the fourth and fifth vows into one.
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