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CHAPTER XL.
JAIN LITERAT JNE.
Jain Literature forms One of the Oldest Literary Records in the World The Purvas-The AngasThe Purvas have been lost-We and mention of their Names only -Siddhantas and their Origin The Jain Scholiasts, Commentators and Authors.
The Jain Literature is one of the oldest literature of India. According to the Jains the last Prophet Mahavira Swami taught the "Purvas" to his disciples who afterwards composed, the Angas, The "Purvas" literally means "Earlier" and they were so called because they existed prior to the composition of Angas.' They were also known as Dristibad. The date of the original composition of these Anges which are in popular dialects, has been placed wards the end of the 4th and the begiang of the 3rd century B. C, by the Western Scholars. But it is not proved that these Angas did not exist previous to this date. We only find mention made of the fact that the earliest collection of these sacred texts or the Agams took place at Pataliputra and belonged to
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