Canonical Literature Of Jainas

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

Page 84

THE EXTINCT ĀGAMAS OF THE JAIRASING2421
the composition does not go beyond 2550 years. It is a pity that we do not possess even a list regarding the scriptures codified at the Valabhi council, convoked by Devarddhi Gaņi. So our attempt, however serious and sincere it may be, to make a note of all these extinct works cannot yield the desired result. Even then it should be made so that we can have as least a glimpse of the works lost to us by this time. This endeavour of ours would have been surely facilitated, and the results we are going to arrive at would have been quite precise in case a scientific Catalogus catalogorum of Jaina manuscripts had been prepared and published by this time. In the absence of such a source, it now remains to examine the Jaina works wherein incidentally a loss of some work or works may have been noted; but owing to the want of sufficient time and free access to printed and unprinted works, a thorough investigation of these materials is not possible for the present writer. Even then an attempt is being made in this direction with the hope that it will act as a stimulus to others finally leading them to a complete success in view of the thorough investigation of this problem they may be inclined to carry out in near future.
Broadly speaking we can divide the Āgamas into two groups: the Angas and the Painnagas. The number of the former is fixed as 12; but such is not precisely the case with the latter, if the number 14000 is not taken to be correct. Anyhow the exa tion regarding the latter is more difficult than the former. We shall therefore proceed with the first group first. Therein we find that Ditthivāya is lost, though not, all of a sudden. To be quite explicit, I may mention some of the details that throw light in this direction.
It was in the time of Bhadrabāhusvāmin that Magadha had to face the calamity resulting from a twelve-year famine. This seriously affected the study of the Jaina saints who could hardly get sufficient alms even by begging from door to door. This resulted in their forgetting Diţthivāya-a fact those saints became I That some portion is lost is certain; for, in the extant literature, there
is no mention of an āyägapata. Further, there is no reference to Khā. ravela except in Himavanta Therāvali.