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V]
THE EXTANT AGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
This entire work deals with narratives3 which have a moral and religious purpose behind them. They excite interest and attest attention, are free from sectarian spirit and are useful to persons of any and every school of thought. Such is the opinion expressed by Mr. D. B. Kalelkar in Gujarati, in his foreword to the Gujarati translations of this work.
This Anga (I, 1; s. 17), too, supplies us with names of some of the anarya tribes. Furthermore it mentions 16 jewels (I; s. 16) and 72 kalās (I; s. 20), and refers to 18 Desi languages (I; s. 22), 4 Vedas and Sasthitantra, 16 diseases (XIII; s. 100) etc.
1
131
3
2 Narratives, apologues, fables and the like wherein are clothed ethical and religious truth in the graceful and pleasing drapery of metaphor, serve a useful purpose of engaging the attention, of impressing the memory and strewing the path to abstract dogmas with flowers. This is what Rev. J. Long has said in his work entitled as Scripture truth in Oriental Dress (p. i).
"ज्ञाताः - दृष्टान्तास्तानुपादाय धर्मों यत्र कथ्यते ता ज्ञातधर्मकथा: ।"
4
Herein almost in the beginning we come across the following line:
" जति णं भंते! समणेणं भगवया महावीरेणं... पंचमस्स अंगस्स अयमठ्ठे पन्नत्ते, छट्टस्स णं अंगस्स णं भंते! णायाधम्मकहाणं के अट्ठे पन्नत्ते ? "
7
Similar lines are to be met with, in the Angas 7 to 11. From this it may be deduced that the meanings of Angas 5 to 11 have been propounded by Lord Mahavīra.
The narrative of 4 daughters-in-law of a merchant given in VII (s. 63) may be cited as an instance. For its extract in English see A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 446).
5 This has been published in the Punjabhai Jaina Granthamala No. 3, 1981.
6
-Siddhasena Gani's com. (p. 91) on Tattvartha (I, 20)
The pertinent lines are:
" रयणाणं १ वइराणं २ वेरुलियाणं ३ लोहियक्खाणं ४ मसारगलाणं ५ हंसगब्भाणं ६ पुलगाणं ७ सोगंधियाणं ८ जोहरसाणं ९ अंकाणं १० अंजणाण ११ रयणा ( ? या ) णं १२ जायरूवाणं १३ अंजणपुळगाणं १४ फलिहाणं १५ रिहाणं १६ अहाबायरे पोग्गले परिसाडेइ. "
This same passage occurs almost ad verbatim in Rayapaseniya (s. 8). By रयण is here meant कक्केयण.
Ten gems are noted in Kummaputtacariya in the following verse:“ सोगन्धिय-कक्केयण - मरगय - गोमेय - इन्दनीलाणं ।
जलकन्त - सूरकन्तय-मसारगल - ऽङ्क - फलिहाणं ॥ ७४ ॥
In Arthadipika (p. 159a) 60 kinds of jewels are mentioned.
See
pp. 116 and 136.
