History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 137

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A HISTORY OF THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
Naya1 and Dhammakaha. The former has 19 subdivisions, each styled as ajjhayana; and the latter has 104, each styled as vagga. Further, each vagga has subdivisions, each known as ajjhayana.
As regards the contents, we have in the 8th ajjhayana, the narration. of Malli, the 19th Tirthankara as a female. She gets a mohanaghara ("a house intended for confusion") prepared in order to make the six princes (who wooed her) realize the filth of the human body and thereupon make them decide to renounce the world. In the 9th, we come across a mariner's fairy tale. Herein is mentioned the winged horse as is the case with the Valahassajātaka (No. 196). The 16th ajjhayana furnishes us with a narration of Dovai (Sk. Draupadi) in the form of a story of her rebirth."
In the 2nd suyakkhandha' there is a story of the goddess Kālī.
This entire work deals with narratives10 which have a moral and
1-2. Each of these names occurs in plural.
3. Their names are given in the following verses of this very works :
"उक्खित्तणाए १ संघाडे २ अंडे ३ कुम्मे ४ य सेलगे ५ तुंब ६ य रोहिणी ७ मल्ली ८ मायंदी ९ चंदिमा १० इ य दावद्दवे ११ उदगणाए १२ मंडुक्के १३ तेयली १४ वि य । नंदीफले १५ अवरकंका १६ अतिने १७ सुसमा १८ इ य । अवरे य पुंडरीयणायए १९ एगुणवसतमे ।"
It is said that out of these, the 14th ajjhayana may be compared with Avassayacunni (Pt. II) where paccakhāņa is explained.
4. "दोच्चस्स णं भते ! सुयक्खंधस्स धम्मकहाणं समणेणं जाव संपत्तेणं के अट्ठे पन्नत्ते ? एवं खलु जंबू ! समणेणं जाव संपत्तेणं धम्मकहाणं दस वग्गा पन्नत्ता" - II, 1; s. 148.
5. Their respective numbers are 5, 5, 54, 54, 32, 32, 4, 4, 8 and 8. The total comes to 196. In A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 449) it is remarked: "This is a monkish corruption of the legend from the Mahabharata of Draupadi's marriage to the five brothers."
7. As regards this suyakkhandha, Prof. Winternitz observes :
"Book II of this Anga is a complete contrast to Book I both in form and contents, and is more closely associated with the seventh and the ninth Angas." -Ibid., p. 448 8. Herein almost in the beginning we come across the following line :
"जति णं भंते! समणेणं भगवया महावीरेणं.. पंचमस्स अंगस्स अयमट्टे पत्रत्ते, छट्टुस्स णं अंगस्स णं भंते! णायाधम्मकहाणं के अट्ठे पन्नत्ते ? ।"
Similar lines are to be met with, in the Angas 7 to 11. From this it may be deduced that the meanings of Angas 5 to 11 have been propounded by Lord Mahavira.
9. Narratives, apologues, fables and the like wherein are clothed ethical and religious truth in the graceful and pleasing drapery of metaphor, serve a useful purpose of engaging the attention, of impressing the memory and strewing the path to abstract dogmas with flowers. This is what Rev. J. Long has said in his work entitled as Scripture truth in Oriental Dress (p. i). 10. “ ज्ञाता :- दृष्टान्तास्तानुपादाय धर्मो यत्र कथ्यते ता ज्ञातधर्मकथा: ।"
-Siddhasena Gani's Com. (p. 82) on Tattvärtha (1, 20) For Private & Personal Use Only