Book Title: Early Jainism
Author(s): K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Page 31
________________ CHAPTER JI A HISTORICAL EVALUATION OF UTTARADHYAYANA AND DAŠAVAIKĀLIKA Uttarādhyayana and Dasayaikājika are two of the four oldest Jaina canonical texts, the other two being Ācāränga I and Sutrak stänga I, Of these, Acārānga I and Sūtrakstānga I are oldest, Uttaradhyayana and Daśavaikālika oldest after them. Of course, each of these texts contains material that is relatively old and material that is relatively new, it being of the form of an anthology of independent poetic pieces composed at different dates and by different anthors. Even so, they taken together do not fail to throw considerable light on the earlier stages of the evolution of Jaina thought and practice. To make study of Uttaradhyayana and Daśayaikālika from this standpoint is the purpose of the present note. As compared to Daśavaikälika Uttaradhyayana is much varied in style as well as contents. The former consists of ten chapters and two append. ices, all of the form of a homily addressed to a monk; the latter consists of 36 chapters, of which 12 are of the form of a homily, 11 of the form of a story, 2 of the form of a parable, 11 of the form of a systematic treatment of some topic or group of topics. So it should be profitable to take up for a special treatment Uttaradhyayana first and Daśavaikalika afterwards, What should strike a reader of Uttaradhyayana is its almost exclusive pre-occupation with the problems of a monk's life and its almost total disregard of those of a pious householder's life. However, since an exclusive preoccupation with the problems of a monk's life and a total disregard of those of a pious householder's life are also a characteristic features of Ācārānga I and Sūtrakịtānga I the few exceptions that occur in this connection in Uttaradhyaya na deserve notice. A most clearcut recognition of the honourable status of a pious householder is made in the later half of chapter 5 which is devoted to a comparative consideration of death of the ignorant and death of the wise'. The early half of the chapter describes death of the ignorant that is the fate of an ordinary worldljpg. the later half death of the wise' that is the destiny of a pious Jaina-mopk or householder. In connection with the latter it is laid down that after his death a pious Jaina householder is next born as a god (v. 24), a pious Jaina monk is either next born as a god or he attains mokşa (v. 25), a sition maintained by all later Jaina authors. The fate of a pious house. holder also finds mention in the later half of chapter 7. This half is Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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