Doctrine of Jainas

Author(s): Walther Shubring, Wolfgang Beurlen
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 91

THE CANON
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taught by the Diţthivāya was no longer necessary or desirable, has been copied by the Digambaras with regard to the Angas. They give the names of five patriarchs whom they say to have known 11 Angas, and of nine more who knew 10, 9, 8, 7 (?) and 1 Angas only, until eventually that too—the 1st--was lost. This report is based upon the Digambaras in very early times having become alienated from the collection of the Angas, from which it followed that they no longer acknowledged them as authoritative. Hence, for the Digambaras, the Angas of the Svetāmbaras are younger productions, and when the latter give the number of words in them (Samav. 107 ff., Nandi 209b ff.)1, the former bring up other figures against them? To a certain degree it is justified to look upon the Angas as being of a younger age, since they have not come down to us in their original shape.
This follows from comparing their present state with tradition and subjecting it to a critical view. As the saying goes, new wine has been poured into old bags. The method was to form a unit out of parts and fragments, to supply lost portions and even works, and, in many cases, to arrange the text suitably. It is probable that all this was the result of two councils, 4 the one taking place at Mathurā, the other at Valabhi (Kathiawar), and both presided by Skandıla and Nāgārjuna respectively. In the course of time the former must have gained the upper hand, for, when in one more Valabhi council Devarddhi undertook to lay down the wording of the text definitely, he gave the Nāgārjuniya pāțhas not the first but the second place, even though he stood in the parampară of their originator (s. b), Devarddhi is reported to have got copies of the holy works multiplied with a view to provide with them as many communities as possible Memorial verses serve to faci
1 Up to Anga 4 the figure is doubled, Anga 5 has 84,000 words (a favourite figure), and the rest samkhija words (see § 21)
2. Gommat. Jiv 357 ff , Suyakkh g ff , Tattv 1, 75 ff , Angap. 15 ff, Comp. also JAINI, Outlines p 135 ff 3 The AUTHOR, Worte p uff
We here follow KAPADIA P 61 ff who gives the sources. BHANDARKAR, Rep 1883-84, p 128, JACOBI , Kalpasūtra p 117 and SBE 22 294 can be added