History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 107

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A HISTORY OF THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
regards Parikamma, it seems that at least some persons carried on its study side by side with and that, too, ahead of the corresponding Puvva-an inference I draw from Āryarakṣita Sūri's episode. On this basis it can be suggested that the study of the Parikamma pertaining to each Puvva ended with the extinction of that Puvva; for, it was no use preparing the Parikamma of that Puvva which had ceased to exist. If this suggestion is correct, it follows that the Parikamma associated with the study of the last 4 Puvvas became a dead letter by the time Sthūlabhadra died, and a similar inference can be drawn for the Parikamma pertaining to the rest of the 10 Puvvas.
There is another alternative regarding the study of Parikamma. Just as even now-a-days some persons complete the study of the Samskrt grammar before they enter the field of literature, so Parikamma being a stepping-stone to Puvvagaya, some may have been mastering it completely before they began to study even the 1st Puvva.
As regards the study of the Sutta, the Jaina literature-even the narrative branch of it, seems to be completely silent. So I may suggest that the case of the extent of the study of the Sutta is parallel to that of Parikamma, and equally so is its loss.
So far as the Puvvas are concerned, it appears that their study must have been preceded by that of the pertinent portions or the entire ones of the Parikamma and the Sutta.? The study of Anuoga may have been partly preceded and partly followed by that of the corresponding Puvvas, in case it dealt with upakrama etc., as suggested on p. 9. As regards the branch of hagiology, its study may have been taken up after that of the corresponding portion of the Puvva or it may have preceded it, in case either the taught were inquisitive to know the lives of the persons referred to in the Puvva they were about to learn or the teacher wanted to create interest about the pertinent Puvva amongst his pupils. Whatever it may be, it is almost certain that the study of the Aņuoga which may have been taken up in instalments corresponding to each Puvva or which may have been altogether reserved after that of the Puvva is question or to take an extreme case after that of all the Puvvas, was given up as soon as the study of the Puvvas came to an
1. See p. 68 fn. 3. 2. The Sutta seems to be an index to the aphorisms of Puvvagaya and their meanings. If
so, it is more or less a tabulated summary-an analytical digest of the contents of Puvvagaya in extenso, and thus it may be compared with the Mātikās of the Bauddhas, and it may be looked upon as forming a background for the study of the Puvvas.