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
That the sacred works of Jainas were not freely reduced to writing for several centuries and thus for this period the services of the art of writing remained practically unutilized for lightening the burden of the memory, requires a satisfactory explanation. In the case of the Vaidika literature, it may be argued that its sacred character was partly responsible for this; for, it was probably feared that the most sacred possession of the race might pass into profane hands, if the Vedas were committed to writing. Furthermore, the necessary guidance for cultivating proper accent and intonation - a point of great importance could be had from the lips of an animate teacher and not from the pages of an inanimate book. Over and above this, there was a danger of a scribe committing dittographic and haplographic errors and at times misreading the characters and thus transforming the original out of recognition?. I do not think, it is any one of these considerations that weighed heavily in the minds of the Jaina saints and that prevented them from reducing to writing the sacred works of their school. On the contrary, it appears that their desire of strictly observing their noble and ennobling mahāvrata viz. aparigraha prevented them from resorting to writing. Moreover, those saints who kept Mss. were denounced. This is borne out by the Cunni (p. 214) on Dasaveyaliya, the Bhāsas on Nistha, the Bhäsa on Kappa etc. Further, penances were prescribed to those who wrote even one letter?. But the times, as it were, willed it otherwise, and in course of time these rules had to be modified, so much so that permission was given for keeping any of the five types of Mss. pertaining to the Nijjuttis of Kaliyasuya 10, on finding that the intellect, the grasping power and the retentive capacity were getting deteriorated". Later on, it was found absolutely necessary to prepare a number of Mss. of the Jaina canonical literature. How this happened may be briefly described as under :
1-3. See Dr. A. S. Altekar's Education in Ancient India (pp. 145-146). 4. "Etretch Face THİGHT. " 5-6. trem forum faça arra J EN TE 7. "Ah ar jafa era a sfera arti जति अक्खराणि लिहति व तति लहगा जं च आवज्जे ॥"
-Bhāsa on Kappa In the Cunni (p. 21) on Dasaveyāliya, it is said : dici o uçaa apua UGT stalfaffiti
च गेण्हमाणस्स पोत्थए संजमो भवइ ।" 9. See my paper Outlines of Paleography (pp. 101-102). 10. In the Bhāsa on Nistha (XII) it is observed : " fa tremuri golfclufusfootag" 11. In the Visehacunni on Nisiha, it is remarked: "#81-31T16UT - ETUVIIffa för gifT3,01
कालियसुयणिज्जुत्तिणिमित्तं वा पोत्थगपणगं घेप्पति । कोसो त्ति समदाओ।"