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III ]
REDACTION OF THE JAINA CANON
Gani Kṣamasramana, after the terrible famine which had lasted for 12 years, came to an end. At this council, all the important works of the Jainas then available were written down. This event is technically known as pustakarohana of the Jaina Agamas or 'Redaction of the Jaina Canon'.' It appears that the Skandiliyas who had attended this council believed that this Redaction of the Jaina canon could be dated as Fira Samvat 980 whereas the Nagarjuniyas said that the correct date was Vira Samvat 993 (vide p. 64, 11. 4-6). Thus this difference had its origin in the fact that some saints thought that 980 years had then elapsed since the nirvana of Lord Mahavira, whereas others thought that 993 years had elapsed. Whatever may be the exact date, this Redaction of the Canon has been a momentous event in the Jaina annals. Its importance lies in the following particulars:
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(i) Not only were the works written formerly at Mathura and Valabhi again written and codified, but some more were written. Of course, we have neither a complete list wherein these works are enumerated nor any source which mentions the order in which they were written. (ii) A serious attempt was made to reconcile the differences in the two versions pertaining to the councils held at Mathura and Valabbi.
(iii) In cases where this failed, it was thought desirable to note the variants, either in the original Agamas or their commentaries. In the former case, the variants were
1 " श्रीदेवर्द्धिगणिक्षमाश्रमणेन श्री वीरादशीत्यधिकनवशत (९८०) वर्षे जातेन द्वादशवर्षीय दुर्भिक्षवशाद् बहुतरसाधुव्यापत्तौ बहुश्रुतविच्छित्तौ च जातायां भविष्यद् भव्य लोकोपकाराय श्रुतभक्तये च श्रीसङ्घाग्रहाद मृतावशिष्टतदाकालीन सर्वसाधून् 'वलभ्या' माकार्य तन्मुखादविच्छिन्नावशिष्टान् न्यूनाधिकान् त्रुटितानुत्रुटितानागमालापकाननुक्रमेण स्वमत्या सङ्कलय्य पुस्तकारूढाः कृताः । ततो मूलतो गणधर भाषितानामपि आगमानां कर्ता श्रीदेवर्द्धिगणिक्षमाश्रमण एव जातः । " - Samācārisataka of Samayasundara 9 Cf. "वीरनिर्वाणसंवत् और जैन कालगणना" ( pp. 118-119 ).
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None seems to have fixed the order of the canonical works available at present. So I have taken up this problem. On a cursory examination I find that some of the Uvangas etc. were written first and then some of the Augas. See Tallvarasikacandrika (pl. 1, p. 19).
