History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 142

THE EXTANT ĀGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
125
The contents of this work widely differ from those of Panhāvāgarana noted in Thāna and Nandi. In Nandi this work is said to have consisted of 108 praśnas,' 108 apraśnas and 108 praśnāpraśnas, vidyātiśayas and discourses of saints with Năgakumāras. and other Bhavanapatis. Malayagiri Sūri interprets praśnas, apraśnas, and praśnāpraśnas as under :
"या विद्या मन्त्रा वा विधिना जप्यमानाः पृष्टा एव सन्तः शुभाशुभं कथयन्ति ते प्रश्नाः तेषामष्टोत्तरं शतं, या पुनविद्या मन्त्रा वा विधिना जप्यमाना अपृष्टा एव शुभाशुभं कथयन्ति तेऽप्रश्नाः तेषामष्टोत्तरं शतं, तथा ये पृष्टा अपृष्टाश्च कथयन्ति ते प्रश्नाप्रश्नाः"
Thus it will be seen that the extinct work mostly dealt with vidyās and mantras. 41
VIVĀGASUYA This is the 11th Anga. It deals with the fructification or matured fruits (viväga) of deeds, bad and good, done in previous births. This work is accordingly divided into two suyakkhandhas styled as Duhavivāga" and Suhavivāga, the former occupying a space about 7 times that occupied by the 2nd. Each of these furnishes us with ten narratives. These narratives describe the lives of ten persons. Therein their two lives as a human being are given in details whereas their subsequent transmigrations in the samsāra ard their attaining liberation in the end, are summarily disposed of. In the Duhavivāga all the 10 persons concerned are not males as is the case with Suhavivāga; but, there are only 8 males, the remaining two being females.
This Vivāgasuya can be looked upon as a work on kathānuyoga as it deals with narratives. These narratives supply us with a beautiful picture of the society of those days when this work was composed. For instance, we learn therefrom (89) that a blind man led by a man having eyes and having a stick held in front of him used to earn his livelihood by going to various houses and by creating a feeling of compassion for him in the persons he
1. Cf. "ufuae sancia cer a GTI TE TOCHOTE"
. - Siddhasena Gani's com. (p. 82) on Tattvārtha (1, 20) 2. Cf. "fa417:- a y ati sefa-astafa og fauncher."
-Siddhasena Gani's com. (p. 82) on Tattvārtha (1, 20) 3. This may remind a Bauddha scholar of Avadānaśataka and Karmaśataka. 4-5. Each of these names is mentioned in plural in Vivāgasuya. See § 4. 6. In Suhavivāga only the first narrative is given in full, whereas the rest, in bare outlines. 441 See page 211 of addition.