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IV ]
...THE EXTINCT AGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
109
.. "The most important feature of the work is that it contains nearly 70 verses (Gathas? ), some of which are actually. quoted as from "Agamas”and others are also probably from “Agamas"4 although not expressly stated so to he. These verses cannot be identified in any of the available.Agamas??
If this statement is correct, it follows that either the available Agames are wanting in these Gāthās or that the corresponding Agamas are now lost.
As regards the exegetical literature of the canonical texts, it may be noted that we have lost several Nijjuttis“ etc. For instance, Govinda Vācaka's Nijjutti? is not available now, and so are Bhadrabāhusvāmin's Nijjuttis on Sūriyapannatti and Isibhūsiya. Even some of the Nijjuttis on Pañcamangalasuyakkhandha have long since become a dead letter.8
These are the details regarding the nature of the extinct Āgamas that I have been able to gather from some of the Jaina sources. I admit that in many a case they are nothing more than a mere guessing based upon their etymology. I may add that in certain cases it may be that even if the entire Jaina literature existing at present is fully investigated, it may not mend matters. Anyhow such an attempt is desirable as it can give us a final understanding about the nature of the extinct Agamas.
In the end, before I conclude this chapter, I may tentatively suggest why these are lost. As already noted, certain ajjhayaņas are sātisaya', and hence they were reserved to be studied by the 1 Nirvanakalikā. 2-5 No diacritical signs are here used. 6 That there was a fairly large number of Nijjuttis is borne out by the following line occurring in the Pakkhiyasutta (p. 666):
"अंगबाहिरे कालिए भगवंते ससुत्ते मअत्थे सग्गंथे सन्निज्जुत्तीए ससंगहणीए" 7 This is mentioned in Visehacunni on Nisiha (XI) and Dasaveyiliyanijjutti ... (v.-82). In the former wo-come across the following lines:
___ "गोविन्दो नाम भिक्खू जे तो अट्ठारस वारा पुच्छा तेण एगिन्दियजीवसाहणं गोविन्दणिज्जुत्ती कया ।
THOIUTAT !". 8 See p. 80, fn. 4. 9 For instance, Mahaparinnā (p. 78), Arunovavāya (p. 82), Utthānasuya
(p. 101) and Samutthānasuya (p. 101 ) are some of them.
