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114 THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
[CHAP. (ii) Both the suyakkhandhas evidently differ from each other
in style and in the manner in which the subject is treated. By the by it may be noted that there is a difference in style in the case of the 3rd Cülā and the two preceeding ones. This is probably due to the diversity
of the matter. Some even go to the length of saying that the 1st wjhayana of the 1st suyakkhandha is the oldest of all its ajjhayanas, and is written in the most archaic language. If this is correct, we can say that there are at least3 three strata in Ayāra: (a) the very first aj hayana, (b) the remaining ones of the 1st suyakkhandha and (c) the 2nd suyakkhandha.
We may now turn to the contents of the Āyāra. As its very name suggests, it deals with rules and regulations pertaining to the conduct of the Jaina clergy, and it is thus an example of caraṇakaraṇānuyoga. Uvāsagadasā which has for its subjectmatter the discipline of the Jaina laity, may be looked upon as its compliment. As regards the details about the contents of Ayāra, the titles of one and all the ajjhyanas indicate them. Even then it may be pointed out that ahimsā is held out as an ideal, and the means to refrain from himsă and the rigidity of the monastic life are here treated at length. To conclude, the 1st Cilā deals with topics associated with the begging of food, a couch,
first lecture, the first sentence of the fifth lesson of the fifth lecture, and the latter half of the 16th verse in the fourth lesson of the eighth lecture
of the first book," 1 Ibid., p. xLvii. 2 , Ibid., p. lii. 3 Tho 5 Cülüs are not the composition of one and the same author, as
can be seen from p. 113, fn. 2. So they present different strata according to their chronological order of composition. Moreover, if it is true that the verses and their fragments which are liberally interspersed with the prose of the 1st section, are older than the correspesponding passages in prose-a
view held by some scholars, it furnishes us with another kind of strata. 4 Vasunandin in his com. Acäravrtti on Vattakera's Mülayara observes that
Vattakera intended to give in this work of his, a brief summary of thu Ayåra. Cf. A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 577). " Trafaga ega TETT:"-Siddhasena Gani's com.(p. 91) on Tuttvartha
