History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 154

THE EXTANT ĀGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
137
dealing with the penances having these very names. To be explicit, uddesas 25 and 12-19 deal with Ugghāya, 1 and 6-11 with Anugghāya and 20 with Ārovanā. Further, in support of this statement of mine I may quote the following line occurring in Avassaya (III) :
"उग्घायमणुग्घायं आरोवण तिविहमो निसीहं तु ।"
So it follows that only one ajjhayana of Āyāra is lost and not four. Besides, on this understanding it may be said that by the time Uttarajjhayana was composed, Nistha still formed a part and parcel of Āyāra, and that it was composed after Ayāragga was added to Āyāra (1). It is also possible to say that this is only a record of the old tradition.
Before I deal with the contents of Uttarajjhayana, I may mention that leaving aside the 29th ajjhayana and some portion in the beginning of the 2nd and the 16th ajjhayanas, the rest of the work is in verse, and it comes to 1643 slokas. In this connection I may note the following observation made by Prof. Schubring in his intro. (p. v, fn. 2) to “The Dasaveyāliya Sutta" :
"The Aryā chapters of the Uttarajjhayana Sutta are evidently later than the bulk of that work. The same can be said of the Āryās in Ayārañaga II, 15."
Ajjhayaņas IX, XII-XIV, XXII, XXIII and XXV supply us with old legends : Ajjhayana IX deals with a dialogue of King Nami with Indra disguised as a Brāhmana. The latter tells him that he should perform his duties as a ruler and a Ksatriya. Thereupon Nami ably refutes his arguments by pointing out the excellence of true asceticism.
Ajjhayana XII is a dialogue between a proud Purohita and Bala, a despised Muni of the Candāla caste. The latter says that a Brahmana is not superior to others simply because he happens to be born as a Brāhmaṇa; for, it is rather the right sort of penance that makes a man dignified and lofty Moreover, undue importance should not be attached to external formalism and ceremonialism.
Ajjhayana XIII is a dialogue between Brahmadatta (an emperor) and an ascetic. Both of them were once born as brothers in a Cāndāla family, and
1. This very line with the following one occurs in śānti Sūri's com. (p. 617) on
Uttarajjahayana "TE 37510TAFET hrany 50971 3 11" It may be noted that in this com. (p. 616") we have : "992: phy:- for ufat Wahmu:, terisha"
HIST.-18 Jain Education International