Canonical Literature Of Jainas

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

Page 51

• THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
(CHAP.
1612. Whatever it may be, it is possible to fix terminus ad quem and terminus a quo so far as the date of the composition of Pañcakappa is concerned. A student of Jaina literature knows it full well that there are two Bhāsas on the Pañcakappa viz. Laghubhāsa and Vuddhabhāsa. The authorship of the Pañcakappa is attributed to Bhadrabāhusvāmin in its Cunni. If this is correct, it may be inferred that Pañcakappa is not posterior to the life-time of Bhadrabāhusvāmin. As regards Vuddhabhāsa, its authorship is attributed to Sanghadāsa Kşamāśramana, whose exact life-period is not known, but who is supposed to have flourished not later than a millennium after the nirvāṇa of Lord Mahāvīra. This Vuddhabhāsa seems to be preceded by Laghubhāsa. If so, the date of Pañcakappa is at least anterior to that of Laghubhāsa and a fortiori to that of Vuddhabhāsa. Whatever may be the date of Pañacakappa, I do not think it is as old as Dasā, Kappa and Vavahāra on each of which a Nijjutti is composed by Bhadrabā. husvāmin. If it were at least equally old, how is it that there is no mention of it even in Nandi ? I am aware of the fact that some believe that this Pañcakappa along with Nisīha and Mahānisīha was composed by a Ganadhara but can they give any proof for it?
With these remarks about Pañcakappa, I may now say a few words about Dasā, Kappa and Vavahāra'. They are mentioned together in several scriptures, e. g. in the following line of Vavahāra (X, para 20):--
“पञ्चवासपरियाए कप्पइ दसा-कप्प-ववहारे उद्दिसित्तए"
1 "अधुनाऽस्मिन्नामनिष्पन्ने निक्षेपे पंचकल्पसंज्ञके येनेदं दशाकल्पसूत्रे प्रवचनहितार्थाय पूर्वादाहृतं तस्य नम
Ti Polf 4 1: 1 : 1"-D. C. J. M. (vol. XVII, pt. II, p. 257)
It is said that in Vicārāmộtasangraha Kulamandana Sūri has suggested that Sanghadāsa is the author of Pancakappa. 2 "महत्पंचकल्पभाष्यं संघदासक्षमाश्रमणविरचितं समाप्तमिति"
-D. C. J, M. (vol. XVII, pt. II, p. 261) 3 These are mentioned in various works e. g. in Avassayanijjutti (v. 82-85),
Nandi (s. 44) etc. They are also noted in the following line occurring in Siddhasena Sūri's Cunni (p. 1) on Jiyakappa:
“को वि सीसो विणीओ आवस्सय-दसकालिय-उत्तरायणा-ऽऽयार-निसीह-सयगड-दसा-कप्प-ववहार. माइयं अंगपविठ्ठ बाहिरं च "