History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 183

166
ĀVASSAYA
This has got six sections known as Sāmāïya1, Caüvisatthaya2, Vandanaya3, Paḍikkamaṇa*, Käüssagga and Paccakkhāṇa. It is difficult to say as to which suttas rightly constitute this Mulasutta. It is however possible to believe that the suttas explained or alluded to in the Avassayanijjutti belong to the Avassaya. See pp. 50-51. The suttas treated by Haribhadra Suri in his com. on this work are as under :
THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
(१) करेमि भंते, (२) लोगस्स, (३) वन्दणगसुत्त, (४) चत्तारि मंगलं, (५) चत्तारि सरणं, (६) चत्तारि लोगुत्तमा, (७) इच्छामि पडिक्कमिउं जो मे देवसिओ (८) इरियावहियसुत्त, (९) समणसुत्त, (१०) इच्छामि ठाउं काउस्सग्गं जो०, ( ११ ) तस्स उत्तरी, (१२) अन्नत्थ, (१३) अरिहंतचे आणं, (१४) पुक्खरवर, (१५) सिद्धाणं बुद्धाणं, (१६) इच्छामि खमासमणो ! उवडिओमि अब्भिंतर०; (१७) पक्खियखामणा, (१८) सम्मत्तालावग सातिचार, (१९ - ३० ) एगादिवय सातिचार, (३१) संलेहणाविचार and ( ३२-३५) पच्चक्खाण.
Of these (1) belongs to Samāïya, (2) to Caüvisatthaya, (3) to Vandaṇaya, (4) to (9) to Paḍikkamaṇa, (10) to (18) to Käüssagga and (19) to (35) to Paccakkhāņa. But it should be noted that (14) and (15) are not the real constituents of Avassaya. They are commented upon by Haribhadra Sūri on pp. 788-789a and 789-790a respectively.
It may be observed that the 1st 3 suttas are printed in Roman characters along with their German translation in Übersicht über die Avaśyaka-Literatur which is a splendid work of the late veteran scholar Leumann. This will be hereafter referred to as Av. Lit. An exposition of this Avasyaka-Literature is reserved for the next chapter. So the reader may refer to it or to D C G CM (vol. XVII, pt. III, pp. 132137). In the end I may add that from Senapraśna (p. 20a) it seems that Avassaya is a composition of Śrutasthavira; but, on its p. 51a7 it is expressly said that there is every possibility of its being that of a Gaṇadhara. Cf. p. 50.
1-6 These may be roughly translated as (i) equanimity of mind, (ii) eulogy of the 24 Tirthankaras, (iii) veneration (of the teacher), (iv) confession and expiation, (v) indifference to body and (vi) abstinence from food etc.
7 The pertinent lines are as under:
'आवश्यकान्तर्भूतश्चतुर्विंशतिस्तवस्त्वारातीयकालभाविना श्रीभद्रबाहु स्वामिनाऽकारीति आचाराङ्गवृत्तौ द्वितीयाध्ययनस्यादौ तदत्र किमिदमेव सूत्रं भद्रबाहुनाऽकारि सर्व्वाणि वा आवश्यकसूत्राणि कृतान्युत पूर्वं गणधरैः कृतानीति किं तत्त्वमिति प्रश्नः । अत्रोत्तरम् आचाराङ्गादिकमप्रविष्टं गणभृद्भिः कृतम्, आवश्यकादिकमनङ्गप्रविष्ट -
-