Astronomy and Cosmology

Author(s): L C Jain
Publisher: Rajasthan Prakrit Bharti Sansthan Jaipur

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tirthařkara has also been established, the nirvāņa of Mahāvīra being accepted as -527. The bifurcation of Jaina tradition of literatue into that of Svetāmbara and of Digambara appears to be round about + 73.33 LITERATURE IN 'SVETAMBARA SCHOOL
A question may be posed whether these was any literature of the Jaina School prior to Mahāvira ? Two types of scriptures, dravya and bhāva, in Jaina tradition, has been described according it is worded or else thought, or normed. The later may be brought under the caption of the pūrvas (the earlier). Fourteen such pūrvas of knowledge of the tradition are described as utpada pūrva, agrāyaņiya, viryānuvāda, astināstipravāda, jñana pravāda, satya-pravāda, ātma pravāda, karma pravāda, pratyakhyāna, vidyānuvāda, kalyāņavāda (or abandhya, according to Svetāmbara), prāņāvāya, kriyā viśāla and lokabindusāra. Mention has been made from place to place in available Jaina literature about these pūrvas, still they are said to have become extinct about 162 years after Mahāvira. By this very time, the Svetāmbara tradition is said to have held a conference of Jaina Sramaņas in Patliputra at the instance of Sthūlabhadra and compiled the eleven argas of āgama : āyārārga, thaņāňga, samavāyanga, viyāhapaņņatti, nāyādhammakahão, uvā sagadesão, antagadadasão, aņuttarovaiya dasāo, panhavāgarana and vivāga suyam. The twelfth anga was digthivāda (having five divisions-parikarma, sūtra, pūrvagata, anuyoga and cūlikā), excepting perhaps a part of pūrvagata of which, rest material is not available.
Apart from the above, the council of Valabhi, at the instance of Devarddhi Gani (c. +454) compiled twelve upāngas, six cheda sūtras, four mula sūtras, ten prakirņakas and two cūlikā formulas. Upāngas : aupapātika, rāyapaseộiyam, jīvājivābhigama, prajñapanā,
sūryaprajñapti, jambūdvipa prajñapti, candraprajñapti,
kalpikā, kalpāvateņsikā, puşpikā & vịşņidaşā, Chedasūtras : niśitha, mahāniśītha, vyogahāra, ācāradaśā, kalpasūtra and
pañcakalpa, Mūlasūtras : uttarādyayana, āvaśyaka, deśavaikālika, and piņdaniryukti. Prakirņkas : catuḥ śaraņa, atura-pratyakhyāna, mahāpratyākhyāna,
bhaktaparijña, tandula vaicārika, samstāraka, gacchācāra,
garividyā, devendra stava, & maraṇasamādhi, Cūlikā sūtras : nandi sūtra and anuyogadvāra.
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Cf. Jain. I. P., “The Jaina Sources of the History of Ancient India, (100 B. C. to A. D. 900)", Delhi (1964).
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