Contribution of Prakrit to Jain Canonical Literature

Author(s): N Vasupal
Publisher: Z_Mohanlal_Banthiya_Smruti_Granth_012059.pdf

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F: PE FACT
THAT
FOUR MULASUTRAS ;
1. Uttarajjhayana - (Uttarādhyayana) 2. Dasaveyaliya - (Dasavaikälika) 3. Avassaya - (Āvaśyaka) 4. Pinďanijjutti - (Pindaniryukti)
The 12th Anga, the Drstivāda, which included the 14 pūrvas is lost. The contents of the canon are quite varied and cover almost every branch of human knowledge, as it was conceived of in these days. The texts like Acāranga, Dasavaikälika gives a detailed account of Monachism as practised in Eastern India in the days of Mahavira. Jiva Jivabhigama etc, fully discuss the Jaina ideas about living beings. Upāsakadasah, Prasnavyākaranāni etc setforth the ideas and regulations of a householder's life. Jñatadharmakathah, Vipākasutra and Nirayāvavaliyão give good many holy legends which are moral in all their aspects and didactic in purpose. Suryaprajñapti etc, discuss Jaina Cosmology. Sūtrakrtānga, Uttaradhyayana etc contains brilliant moral exhortations, philosophical discourses and amusing legedns and some of their sections are fine specimens of ancient Indian ascetic poetry. Nandisūtra gives details about Jains epistemology and the texts like the Bhagavatisutra are encyclopaedic in contents. Some of the stories are said in the age of Aristanemi, in some places the pupils of Pārsva and Mahavíra are holding discussion and in most of the lessons preachings are attributed to Mahavira and his disciples.
Devarddhigani arranged and redacted the already existing tests of the canon as a consistent whole probably by standardising descriptions, passages and the use of synonyms in a certain text and by merely referring to them
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