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RELIGIOUS SECTS
váda, discussion of truth; Atmapravúda, investigation of spirit; Pránáváyd, nature of corporeal life; Kriyavišala, consequences of acts, and others'. They are held to be the works of Mahávíra's Ganas, or of that Tirthankara and his predecessors, or to have emanated from them originally, although committed to writing by other hands. Some of them still exist, it appears", although in general their places have been assumed by a list of more recent compositions.
From this brief statement it will be evident that there is no want of original authorities with regard to the belief, the practices, or the legends of the Jaina sect. There is indeed more than a sufficiency, and the vast extent of the materials is rather prejudicial to the enquiry, it being impossible to consult any extensive proportion of what has been written, and it being equally impossible without so doing to know that the best guides have been selected. For such accounts as are here given, the Vocabulary of HeMACHANDRA, with his own Commentary, the Mahavira Charitra of the same author, the Kalpa Sútra, the Avasyakavřihad Vitta, the Bhagavatyanga Vritta, Nava Tattwabodha, and Jíva Vichára have chiefly been consulted.
The leading tenets of the Jains, and those which
1 A similar enumeration of these Works occurs in the Mahavira Charitra.
2 Thus the Thánóngisútra and Upásakadaśa, of HAMILTON, are no doubt the Sthånónga and Upásakadaśa of Hemachandra's text; the Bhagavatyanga is in the Sanskrit College Library.
