History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 212

COMPARISON AND EVALUATION
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commentary adds apavādotsargasūtra to these three and thus notes 4 varieties of a sutta. It also furnishes us with corresponding examples. This exposition of the various varieties of a sutta has its own value, even when it has a parallel in the non-Jaina literature.
The word sutta has several Samskrta equivalents such as supta, śruta, sūkta, sūtra, stotra and stotras. Out of these the last two are here, out of question. And so is the 1st meaning of sūtra out of 3 viz. (i) a prologue of a drama (vide Mohaparājaya 48), (ii) a scripture (vide Țhāna iv, 4) and (iii) a thread. The meaning 'thread' is acceptable; for, it can be construed as thread of tradition - the tradition preserved and perpetuated by a succession of Tirtharkaras.
There are two allegations made by some of the scholars? regarding the word sutta used by the Jainas and the Bauddhas. They are :
(i) The word sutta is used in the loosest sense possible.
(ii) The name sūtra is adopted "for the canonical writings more as a sort of formal counterpoise or set-off against Brahmanism than with a view to imitating the style and modes of expression of the Brahmanical sutra literature."
May I request these scholars and those who hold similar views to go through my exposition of sutta and to pronounce their verdict in this connection after linking it with the Jaina tradition that every sutta was originally associated with 4 anuyogas and that a sutta has got a number of meanings ?4 Incidentally I may add that some of the Brāhmaṇas and Upanisads are said to be loose in style, wanting in compactness and full of
1. A sutta becomes six-fold when two more varieties of it viz. utsargotsargasūtra and
apavādāpavādasūtra, are taken into account along with this. Ibid., pp. 818-819. 2. Prof. Jarl Charpentier is one of them. In his intro. (p. 32) to his edition of The
Uttaradhyayanasūtra he says : "It may further be noted that the term sutra is in reality very inappropriate to the sort of compositions included in the Siddhanta, inasmuch as we usually understand by sutra's the very short and concise compendiums of ritual, grammar, philosophy and other sciences. But sūtra has apparently another sense amongst the Jains and Buddhists, and there is little doubt that it was their purpose in adopting this name rather to contest the claims of their Brahmanical opponents to be solely in possession of real canonical works than to imitate the style and modes of
expression of the Brahmanical sūtra-literature.” 3. See The Daśavaikālikasūtra : A Study (p. 19). 4. Cf. "3774749fecara rea" occurring in Haribhadra Sūri's com. (p. 4°) on Dasaveyaliya.