History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

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THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
So it follows that only one ajjhayaṇa of Āyāra is lost and not four. Besides, on this understanding it may be said that by the time Uttarajjhayana was composed, Nisīha still formed a part and parcel of Āyāra, and that it was composed after Ayaragga was added to Āyāra (I). It is also possible to say that this is only a record of the old
tradition.
Before I deal with the contents of Uttarajjhayana I may mention that leaving aside the 29th ajjhayana and some portion in the beginning of the 2nd and the 16th ajjhayanas, the rest of the work is in verse, and it comes to 1643 slokas. In this connection I may note the following observation made by Prof. Schubring in his introduction (p. v, fn. 2) to "The Dasaveyaliya Sutta" :
"The Arya chapters of the Uttarajjhayana Sutta are evidently later than the bulk of that work. The same can be said of the Aryas in Ayäranaga II, 15.".
Ajjhayaṇas IX, XII-XIV, XXII, XXIII and XXV supply us with old legends : Ajjhayana IX deals with a dialogue of King Nami with Indra disguised as a Brāhmaṇa. The latter tells him that he should perform his duties as a ruler and a Ksatriya. Thereupon Nami ably refutes his arguments by pointing out the excellence of true asceticism.
Ajjhayana XII is a dialogue between a proud Purohita and Bala, a despised Muni of the Canḍāla caste. The latter says that a Brāhmaṇa is not superior to others simply because he happens to be born as a Brāhmaṇa; for, it is rather the right sort of penance that makes a man dignified and lofty. Moreover, undue importance should not be attached to external formalism and ceremonialism.
Ajjhaygṇa XIII is a dialogue between Brahmadatta (an emperor) and Citta, an ascetic. Both of them were once born as brothers in a Cāṇḍāla family, and on their being harrassed for their untouchability they had resorted to asceticism. In this birth Brahmadatta is being pursuaded to renounce the world but he pays no heed to it.
Ajjhayana XIV is a splendid dialogue between a Purohita and his sons. Herein the latter convince the former that the ascetic ideal is to be preferred to the pseudo-Brahmanika one. Thereupon all of them and the wife of that Purohita, too, take the Jaina dīkṣā.
1 In 63 verses of Vaseṭṭhasutta with the refrain "him I call a Brāhmaṇa" true Brāhmaṇahood is defined as one lying in conduct and not merely in a high birth.