Canonical Literature Of Jainas

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

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THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
[CHAP.
Schubring (Kalpasītra, p. 8 and Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, 1924, 484) assumes that the expressions Cheda-sūtra and MulaSūtra are derived from Cheda and Müla, two kinds of penances mentioned in Jainism. It may be added that the Mülasūtra, at least in their present form seem to have nothing to do with penances, Cheda means 'cut', and consequently Chedasūtra may be construed as a treatise which prescribes cuts in seniority (dikṣā-paryaya ) in the case of the Jaina clergy on their violating any rules of their order.3
This is one of the conjectures. The other and more plausible conjecture I may make, is based upon the following verse of Pañcakappabhāsa quoted in Abhidhānarājendra (vol. III, p. 1361):"परिणाम अपरिणामा अइपरिणामा य तिविहा पुरिसा तु । णातूणं छेदसुत्तं परिणामणे होंति दायव्वं ॥"
From this it follows that a class of works which can be taught to the parinata pupils only, and not to the other two types of pupils viz. aparinata* and atipariņata, is designated as Chedasutta.
These are the two conjectures I may note at present. So I shall now refer to the oldest source where the word Cheyasutta or its variant Chedasutta is to be met with. The former word occurs in the Āvassayanijjutti, the pertinent verse being as under:
"जं च महाकप्पसुअं जाणि असेसाणि छेयसुत्ताणि । चरणकरणाणुओग त्ति कालिअत्थे उवगयाणि ॥ ७७७ ॥7
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In all there are 10 types of penances. See liyakappa (v. 4). See A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 461, fn. 4). Prof. W. Schubring has expressed this very view in his introduction (p. III) to “Dasaveyaliya Sutta”. For, there he has said: "another group of texts which are intended to lay down rules of monkish life and to fix the course of procedure in case of transgression, is called Cheyasutta after the 4 (On), a punishment which consists in "shortening" the seniority of the culprit, thus degrading him in rank.” Undeveloped; not properly developed in intelligence etc. Overdeveloped; hyperlogical. The word Cheyasuya occurs in liyakappacunni (v. 9) of Siddhasena Sūri. The verse in question is as under: "जेण य छेयसुयत्था आवत्तीदाणविरयणा जत्तणं । पुरिसविसेसेण फुडा निज्जूढा जीयदाणकप्पम्मि विही ॥९॥" This verse is incorporated as v. 2295 in Visesūvassayabhasa.
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