History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 208

COMPARISON AND EVALUATION
191
features of Nijjutti, and it should be so; for, otherwise a commentary is not worth the name. A thing or a point gets correctly understood, when synonyms are suggested. This is one of the reasons why even in the original texts we find at times words practically having the same meaning used in one and the same sentence. Some of the Bauddha texts may be cited as parallels. The egatthas of several words are referred to in Chapter VI. To this list may be added egatthas of nikkheva (v. 150), sutta (v. 1743), aņuoga (v. 187) and vihi (v. 208) given in Kappanijjutti above referred to.
Some scholars go to the length of suggesting that the egattha we come across in the Nijjuttis is a progenitor of lexicography. If so, it immensely adds to the value of the canonical literature of the Jainas. I may add that at times the synonyms are purely Desya words, and hence they are very useful for the study of languages of olden India.
Nikkhevas - Nikkheva is another constituent of Nijjutti, and it seems to be a special feature of the Jaina literature. I think it owes its origin to anekāntavāda popularly known as syādvāda. It leaves no room for confusion so far as metaphysical discussions are concerned. For, every object is denoted by a word, and every word is usually seen to be used in four senses viz. naman, sthāpanā, dravya and bhāva. Out of them dravya has further varieties, and they are to be met with, in several Jaina works e. g. Aņuogaddāra (s. 827). Here the word avassaya is discussed, and all the varieties pertaining to it are noticed therein.
Nirutta - Nirukta is an etymological interpretation. It is a name of one of the six Vedāngas, and it contains glossarial explanation of obscure words occurring in the Vedas. It is also a name of Yāska's commentary on the Nighantu;
1. Cf. "HYGTUAHETAMA 2499f4ylor AMAZE
--Haribhadra's com. (p. 176) on Dasaveyaliya. 2. Cf. the following verse of Kappanijjutti :
"बंधाणुलोमा खलु सुत्तम्मि य लाघवं असम्मोहो । सत्थगुणदीवणा वि य एगट्टगणा हवंतेए ॥१७३॥" 3. "सुय सुत्त गंथ सिद्धंत सासणे आण वयण उवएसो । पण्णवणमागमे इय एगट्ठा पज्जवा सुत्ते ॥१७४॥"
In v. 179 the etymology of siddhanta (scripture) is given, and in v. 181-183 4 types
of a scripture are outlined. 4. See Haribhadra Sūri's com. (p. 176) on Dasaveyaliya. 5. The nikkevas of several words have been already noted. So it will suffice if I add that
those of mangala, inda, nandi, suya, sutta, gantha and vayana are treated in Kappanijjutti mixed up with its Bhāṣa in its verses 5, 12-15, 24, 175-177, 178 and 185 resnectively