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THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
"The most important feature of the work is that it contains nearly 70 verses (gāthās2), some of which are actually quoted as from "Agamas" and others are also probably from "Agamas"4 although not expressly stated so to be. These verses cannot be identified in any of the available "Agamas".
116
If this statement is correct it follows that either the avilable Agamas are wanting in these gathās or that the corresponding Agamas are now lost.
Loss of Nijjuttis-As regards the exegetical literature of the canonical texts, it may be noted that we have lost several Nijjuttis etc. For instance Govinda Vacaka's Nijjuttis is not available now, and so are Bhadrabahusvamin's Nijjuttis on Sûriyapanṇatti and Isibhāsiya. Even some of the Nijjuttis on Pañcamangalasuyakkhandha have long since become a dead letter."
These are the details regarding the nature of the extinct Agamas that I have been able to gather from some of the Jaina sources. I admit that in many a case they are nothing more than a mere guessing based upon their etymology. I may add that in certain cases it may be that even if the entire Jaina literature existing at present is fully investigated it may not mend matters. Anyhow such an attempt is desirable as it can give us a final understanding about the nature of the extinct Agamas.
1
Nirvāṇakalikā.
2-5 No diacritical signs are here used. We have introduced them.
6 That there was a fairly large number of Nijjuttis is borne out by the following line occurring in the Pakkhiya sutta (p. 66b):
" अंगबाहिरे कालिए भगवंते ससुत्ते सअत्थे सग्गंथे सन्निज्जुत्तीए ससंगहणीए "
Cf. the following lines of Gopatha Brahmana (Purva 2-10) :
" एवमिमे सर्वे वेदा निर्मिताः सकल्पाः सरहस्या: सब्राह्मणाः सोपनिषत्का: सेतिहासाः सान्वाख्यानाः सपुराणाः सस्वराः ससंस्काराः सनिरुक्ताः सानुशासनाः सानुमार्जनाः सवाकोवाक्या: "
7
He is mentioned as vacaka in the bhasa (v. 82) of Dasaveyaliya and the com.(p. 565) on Uttarajjhayaṇa. He is referred to as 'acārya' in the com. (pp. 474 & 504) on Thana and the com. (p. 713) on Avassaya.
8
9
This is mentioned in Visehacunni on Nisiha (XI), Dasaveyaliyanijjutti (v. 82), Avassayacunni (pt. I, p. 31) and Kappacunni and its com. as well as in the commertaries on Aavssaya, Uttarajjhayaṇa and Anuögadāra on pp. 713, 646 & 115 respectively. In the former we come across the following lines :
" गोविन्दो नाम भिक्खू जे तो अट्ठारस वारा पुच्छा तेण एगिन्दियजीवसाहणं गोविन्दणिज्जुत्ती कया। एस णाणतेणो । "
See p. 85, fn. 2.
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