History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

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A HISTORY OF THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
With these remarks about Pañcakappa, I may now say a few words about Dasā, Kappa and Vavahāra. They are mentioned together in several scriptures e.g. in the following line of Vavahāra (X, para 20) :
"पञ्चवासपरियाए कप्पइ दसा-कप्प-ववहारे उद्दिसित्तए"
It may be noted that in the Bhāsya (p. 90) on Tattvārtha (1, 20), this very order is preserved, but Dasā is there separately mentioned from Kappa and Vavahara, whereas the last two, jointly. These groupings of the three works in two different ways at least suggest that they are somhow connected.
In A His. of Ind. Lit. (Vol. II, p. 464), the question about the dates of the Cheyasuttas is discussed. The pertinent lines are as under :
"The old, genuine Kalpa-Sūtra is the fifth Cheda-Sūtra, which is also called Brhat-Kalpa-Sūtra or Brhat-Sadhu-Kalpa-Sūtra. It is the principal work on the rules and regulations for the monks and nuns. A necessary supplement to it is the Vavahāra, the third Cheda-Sūtra. The Kalpa-Sutra teaches liability for punishment, and the Vavahāra the meting out of the punishment. The Nistha, the first Cheda-Sütra, containing regulations for punishment for various transgressions against the rules of daily life, is a later work. It has embodied the major portion of the Vavahāra in its last sections, and has numerous similar Sūtras in common with Cūlas I and II of the Ayārānga. Probably both these works originated in one and the same earlier source.... The PindaNijjutti and Oha-Nijjutti, which also deal with discipline, are also occasionally classed among the Cheda-Sūtras. A still later work than these two Nijjuttis is the Mahā-Nistha-Sutta, which appears as the second, and sometimes as the sixth Cheda-Sutta, but which in reality can scarcely be attributed to b with correctness. The principal contents of the text which we have before us and which perhaps took the place of an earlier canonical Mahā-Nistha that went astray, are rules regarding confession and penance, which are emphasized as the most important steps towards liberation.”
1. These are mentioned in various works e. g. in Āvassayanijjutti (v. 82-85), Nandi (s.
44) etc. They are also noted in the following line occurring in Siddhasena Sūri's Cunni (p. 1) on Jiyakappa :"को वि सीसो विणीओ आवस्सय-दसकालिय-उत्तरज्झयणा-ऽऽयार-निसीह-सूयगड-दसा-कप्प-ववहार.
माइयं अंगपविटुं बाहिरं च" 2. "on: re- ar fargitera." Why Kalpa and Vyavahāra are here jointly mentioned
is explained by Yaśovijaya in his com. (p. 514-516) on this work as under : "आभवत्प्रायश्चित्त-दानप्रायश्चित्तयोः कल्पनाद् भेदनाद् व्यवहरणाद् दानाच्च कल्प-व्यवहारी, उभयविधप्रायश्चित्तज्ञापकताया उभयत्र पर्याप्तत्वाद् द्वित्वविश्रान्तपदाभिधानम्"