Canonical Literature Of Jainas

Author(s): H R Kapadia
Publisher: Hindi Granth Karyalay

Page 41

THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
[CHAP.
(explanations, commentaries), (4) Gāthā (stanzas), (5) Udana (pithy sayings), (6) Itivuttaka (short speeches beginning with the words "Thus spake the Buddha'), (7) Jataka (stories of the former births of Buddha), (8) Abbhutadhamma (reports of miracles) and (9) Vedalla (teachings in the form of questions and answers). This is what is suggested by the late Prof. Winternitz in his work entitled A History of Indian Literature (vol. II, p. 10). He there adds:
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"This division does not allude to a canon complete in itself, or to definite books, but is only meant to classify the various types of Buddhist texts according to their form and contents."
As already noted, in the Jaina literature, too, we find this word. Herein, it stands for a limb of the śruta-puruşa, there being such 12 limbs, in all.
Under these circumstances, it is difficult to say as to which school first used this term 'Anga' and as to which school subsequently borrowed it. Prof. M. V. Patwardhan, however remarks: "The Svetambara Jains have also borrowed the term Amiga from their Brahmanical opponents, to denote the first twelve principal works of their canon, while the Digambara Jains have also borrowed the term Veda from the same source, to denote the principal divisions of their sacred literature." 2
It hardly remains to be added that the canonical texts that go by the name of 12 Angas form the very first and fundamental group out of six, and that all the 12 Angas are mentioned in Samavaya (s. 13 and 1364), Nandi (s. 455), Anuogaddāra (s. 42°), Pakkhiyasutta (p. 70), the Bhāṣya (p.108) on Tattvartha (1,21) etc.
1 For instance see p. 21 and the following line from Vivagasuya (I): "दसमस्स अङ्गस्स पण्हावागरणाणं अयमट्ठे पन्नत्ते, एक्कारसमस्स णं भन्ते ! अङ्गस्स विवागसुयस्स" See The Dasa vaikālikasutra: A study (pp. 19-20).
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3 " आयारे १ सूयगडे २ ठाणे ३ समवाए ४ विवाहपन्नत्ती ५ नायाधम्मकाओ ६ उवासगदसाओ ७ अंतगडदसाओ ८ अणुत्तरोववाइदसाओ ९ पण्हावागरणं १० त्रिवागसुए ११ दिट्टिवाए १२"
4 There is the same passage as noted above, except that for the 9th and the 10th works we have: "अणुतरोवत्राइयदसाओ ९ पण्हावागरणाई."
5 " आयारो १ सूयगडो २ ठाणं ३ समवाओ ४ विवाहपन्नत्ती ५ नायाधम्मकहाओ ६ उवासगदसाओ
७ अंतगड साओ ८ अणुत्तरोववाइअदसाओ ९ पहात्रागरणाई १० विवागमुअं ११ दिट्टिवाओ "
6 We have the same passage here ad verbatim as in Nandi (s. 45).
7 Here the passage differs from that in Nandi only regarding the 10th Anga; for, here we have पण्हावागरणं instead of पण्हावागरणाई.
8 “आचारः, सूत्रकृतं, स्थानं, समवायः, व्याख्याप्रज्ञप्तिः, ज्ञातधर्मकथाः, उपासकाध्ययनदशाः, अन्तकृदशाः, अनुत्तरोपपातिकदशाः, प्रभव्याकरणं, विपाकसूत्रं, दृष्टिपात इति ।"