History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 37

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A HISTORY OF THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
The anga-paviṭṭha suya-nana has 12 sub-divisions, each of which is known as an Anga. Thus it is identical with the dvādaśāngi which consists of 12 Angas viz. Ayara etc., and which is so often referred to as duvalasanga ganipidaga (Sk. dvādaśānga gaṇipitaka) in the canonical works of the Jainas.2 These 12 Angas are looked upon as the 12 limbs (angas) of a śruta-puruşa or the śruta personified. They are 2 Pādas (feet), 2 janghās3 (lower legs), 2 ūrus (thighs), 2. gātrārdhas (back and belly), 2 bāhus (hands), 1 grīvā (neck) and 1 siras (head). Ayara and the other 11 Angas are respectively compared with these limbs so that Ayāra and Suyagaḍa stand for the feet of the śruta-purusa, whereas Diṭṭhivāya, for the head. On the other hand, so far as ananga-paviṭṭha suya-nāṇa is concerned, it does not form a part and parcel of this śruta-puruṣa; for, it comprises such scriptures as are not included in the dvādaśāngi. This furnishes us with only one of the definitions of the two kinds of suya-nāņa above referred to; for, there are two more. According to one of them, what is composed by the Gaṇadharas is anga-paviṭṭha whereas what is composed by Śrutasthaviras' is ananga-pavittha. According to the other definition, that śruta which exists in every tirtha-in short which is niyata, is anga-paviṭṭha, and the rest of the śruta is ananga-paviṭṭha. It may be noted that Anandasāgara Sūri has recently propounded a view in Siddhacakra
1. Anga is also known as Ganipidaga. This is what I surmise from the following line occurring in Samavāya (s. 57):
"तिन्हं गणिपिडगाणं आयारचूलियावज्जाण सत्तावन्नं अज्झयणा पन्नत्ता, तं जहा- आयारे सूयगडे ठाणे "
2. For instance we come across "" twice in Samavāya (s. 148) and "gain fufus" in sutras 1 and 136 of this very work. See also p. 12, fn. 2.
3-4 In the Standard Sanskrit English Dictionary by L. R. Vaidya, the meanings of these words are respectively given as "leg from the ankle to the knee" and "the thigh." That a distinction is made between janghā and ūru in Jaina works is borne out by Samaraiccacariya (vide the description of Aggisamma given in the 1st bhava.)
5. Cf. the following verse occurring in the Cunni (p. 47) on Nandi :
"पादयुगं जंघोरू गातदुवर्गं च दो य बाहू ता । गीवा सिरं च पुरिसो बारसअंगो सुतपविट्ठो ॥”
6. See the opening lines of fn. 8. of p. 20.
7. A Śruta-sthavira means one conversant with Thāna and Samavāya. Cf. “inणं समणेणिग्गंथे सुयथरे " Thāna (III, 2; s. 159).
8. " इच्चेतस्स सुतपुरिसस्स जं सुतं अंगभागठितं तं अंगपविट्टं भणइ, जं पुण एतस्सेव सुतपुरिसस्स वइरेगे ठितं अंगबाहिरं ति भण्णति, अहवा
गणहरकयमंगगतं जं कतं थेरेहिं बाहिरं तं च । णियंतं अंगपविद्वं अणिययसुतं बाहिरं भणितं ॥ " Cunnni (p. 47)
on Nandi.
The 550th verse of Viseśavassayabhäsa may be also referred to. It runs as under: " गणहरथेरकयं वा आएसा मुक्कवागरणो वा । धुवचलविसेसओ वा अंगाणंगेसु नाणत्तं ॥ ५५०॥