Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

Author(s): Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

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INTRODUCTORY
important phase when Prakrit was being gradually replaced by the Sanskrit language among the Jaina literati. As many as twenty Cūrnis were written during a period extending from the 4th to the 8th century of the Vikrama era.1 Unfortunately, many of these are still in the form of Mss. and the names of the authors are unknown. Of these Carnis, the following eight(i) Nišitha Gürni (Ništtha Viseșa Cūrni), (ii) Nandi Carni, (iii) An:"yogalvāra Carni, (iv) Avaśyaka Carni, (v) Daśavaikālika Carni, (vi) Uttaradhyayana Cūrni, (vii) Acarānga Cūrni and (viii) Sutrakytānga Girni--have been traditionally ascribed to our author Jinadāsa Gaņi, which itself is a stupendous testimony to vast contribution in the field of the Carni literature.
The chronological sequence of the works of Jinadasa can be arranged on the basis of references that can be traced in the Cūrnis composed by him. According to Anandasāgara Sūri, following is the sequence of the works of Jinadasa--(i) Nandi Carni, (ii) Anuyogadvāra Carni, (iii) Avašyaka Curņi, (iv) Daśavaikalika Cūrņi, (v) Uttaradhyayana Cūrņi, (vi) Acaranga Carni,(vii) Sutrakstanga Cūrni and (viii) Vyakhya prajña pti Gürni.* A reference to Nandi Cūrni can be traced in the Anuyogadvara Cūrņi,' which shows the former to be an earlier work. The Avaśyaka Carn has been referred to in the Daśavaikalika Cūrni, while the latter itself has been mentioned in the Cūrnis of Uttaradhyayana6 and Nišitha'. The Nišitha Cürni has not been
1. The Cūrnis were written on the following Agamas—Ācārānga, Sūtra
krtānga, Vyākhyā-prajñapti (Bhagavati ), Jivābhigama, Nišitha, Mahữniitha, Vasahara, Dakarnatashanaha, Brhatbalba, Pancakaipa, Oghaniryukti, Jitakalba, Uttaradhyayana, dvasyaka, Dalataikälika, Nandi, Anu yogadvāra and Jaibūdvi pa-prajna pti.-Mehta, M. L., Jaina Sāhitya kā Brrad Itihāsa, Vol. 3, p. 289; Kapadia,
op. cit., p. 190. 2. Mehta, op. cit., p. 291; also Mehta's article--Curniyām aura Cūrni
kāra-published in Sramana ( monthly }, 1955, No. 10, p. 18. 3. See ‘Arhat Āgamoni Cürņio ane tenum Midrana’-article published
in Siddhacakra, ix, No. 8, p. 165; vide Mehta, op. cit., p. 291. 4. Anu yogadvāra Curri, pp. 1-2. 5. Daiavaikālika Cūrni, p. 71. 6. Uttaradhyayana Curri, p. 274. 7. NC. 2, p. 363; NC. 4, p. 157.