Canonical Literature Of Jainas

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

Page 88

IV)
THE EXTINCT ĀGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
75
came the era when we had persons who knew only 10 Puvvas. Their names are: Višākha, Prosthila, Ksatriya, Jaya, Nāgasena, Siddhārtha, Dhrtisena, Vijaya, Buddhilla, Deva (Gangadeva ) and Dharmasena. This covers a period upto Vira Samvat 345. In Śrutāvatāra it is said that in the time of Nāgahastin, some one knew at least five Puvvas. Ācārya Dharasena is said to be conversant with two Puvvas. As a passing reference, I may add that amongst persons who knew only 11 Angas and who were thus not conversant with any one of the Puvvas, are mentioned Naksatra, Jayapāla, Pāņdu, Dhruvasena and Kamșa. The last died in or about Vira Samvat 565, Then we come across the names of persons who knew Āyāra, the 1st Arga only. They are: Subhadra, Yaśo. bhadra, Bhadrabāhu II and Lohārya. This brings us down to Vira Samvat 683. The end of this year marked the extinction of the Jaina Agamas in their entirety. This view, strange as it is, is advocated by some of the Digambaras, and it has led some of the Svetāmbaras to question the very authority of the Digambara extant works.
From this exposition it must have been seen that one and all the 14 Puvvas were not simultaneously lost or forgotten, but that their knowledge gradually dwindled so that by Vira Samvat 1000, the Puvvagaya became extinct.
This finishes the discussion about the loss of the main section of Ditthivāya. So it now remains to note the stages about the loss of its remaining four sections. But as it requires an investigation about their contents, I defer its treatment for the time being, and in the meanwhile I note the various reasons assigned by modern scholars for the loss of Ditthivāya in general and the 14 Puvvas in particular.
Prof. Jacobi in his intro. (p. XLVI) to S. B. E, (vol. XXII) observes:
" Professor A, Weber assigns as the probable cause of the Drishtivada being lost, that the development of the Svetâmbara sect had arrived at a point where the diversity of its tenets from those embodied in that book became too visible to be passed over. Therefore the Drishtivada, which contained the Pârvas, fell into neglect. I cannot concur in Professor Weber's