Devindatthao Devendrastava

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 17

X VI: DEVENDRASTAVA
The Jaina tradition doesn't lay as much emphasis on words as the Hindu tradition does. It considers words only as a means to convey the thought or idea or meaning. In its view the meaning is important not the words. It is this lack of emphasis on words that the āgamas of the Jaina tradition could not keep their linguistic character unaltered as the Vedas have been able to do over the millennia. This is the reason that the Jaina canonical literature got divided into two streams, namely the Ardhamāgadhī canons and the Sauraseni canons. Of these, the Ardhamāgadhĩ canonical literature is not only more ancient but also closer to the original language in which Lord Mahāvīra preached. The development of the Saurasenīcanonical literature was also based on these Ardhamā gadhī canons. The Ardhamāgadhī canonical literature was also compiled and edited over a period of nearly a thousand years - from the time of Lord Mahāvīra to 980 or 993 Vīrābda (reckoned from the date of Lord Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa), when they were rendered in their present form in the Vallabhi conclave assembled for the purpose. Therefore, it is quite possible that these were also modified, altered and enlarged by various preceptors during this period.
In the ancient times the Ardhamāgadhīcanonical literature was divided into two categories, namely the Angapravisttha (Canon included) and the Angabāhya (Canon excluded). The Angapravistha category includes eleven Anga Āgamas (Anga included or Primary canons, which are based on the sermons of the Tīrthařkaras and are composed by their principal disciples) and the Drstivāda while the Angabāhya Agamas (Arga excluded or other than Primary canons) include all the other canonical scriptures that were considered to be the compositions of the Śrutakevalis or Canon-omniscients who were fully learned in all canonical knowledge and the Pūrvadhara sthaviras (Elder monks in the know of the fourteen Pūrvas or the Pre-canons -- fourteen Pūrvas were a part of the twelfth Anga Āgama – Drstivāda). In