History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 62

CLASSIFICATIONS OF THE AGAMAS
Mūlasutta I have not come across any Prākṛta or Samskṛta work of sufficient antiquity except Mahänisiha (vide p. 85, fn. 2) where the word múlasutta or mulasuya or its Samskṛta equivalent Mulasūtra occurs. Moreover it seems that this nomenclature is purely an element of the Śvetāmbara school of thought. Further, no Jaina saint of olden days seems to have defined the word Mulasutta or Mulasūtra. Such being the case, modern scholars have expressed their opinions in this connection. For instance, in A History of Indian Literature (Vol. II, p. 466, fn. 1) we have:
"Why these texts are called "root-Sutras" is not quite clear. Generally the word múla is used in the sense of "fundamental text" in contradiction to the commentary. Now as there are old and important commentaries in existence precisely in the case of these texts, they were probably termed "Mula-texts." The explanation given by Charpentier (UttaradhyayanaSūtra, Introduction, p. 32) "Mahavira's own words," does not seem to me to be justified in any way.2 Schubring (Worte Mahāvīras, p. 1, cf., also O L Z 1924, 484 and above, II, p. 461, note 4)
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1. The late Prof. Weber in his Indische Studien (XVII, 41) has said that the term Mūlasūtra does not occur anywhere in the canon; but it is however found in Avassayanijjutti (XI, 61). But this is his slip; for there the expression můlasuttagaha is used in contrast with the gåthås of the Nijjutti.
2. This view is however upheld by Prof. M. V. Patwardhan. For he says in "The Daśavaikālikasūtra: A Study' (p. 16) as under :
"We find however the word Müla often used in the sense of "original text," and it is but reasonable to hold that the word Müla appearing in the expression Mūlasūtra has got the same sense. Thus the term Mülasūtra would mean "the original text" i.e. "the text containing the original words of Mahāvīra (as received directly from his mouth)." And as a matter of fact we find, that the style of Mūlasūtras Nos. 1 and 3 (3 and defe) is sufficiently ancient to justify the claim made in their favour by their general title that they represent and preserve the original words of Mahāvīra. We must of course make liberal allowance for alterations and modifications in such cases, so that the expression "original text" or "original words", is to be understood in a slightly loose sense."