History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

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REDACTION OF THE JAINA CANON attended this council believed that this Redaction of the Jaina canon could be dated as Vira Samvat 980 (A.D. 453) whereas the Nagarjuniyas said that the correct date was Vira Samvat 993 (A.D. 466) (vide lines 23-25 on this page). Thus this difference had its origin in the fact that some saints thought that 980 years had then elapsed since the nirvāņa of Lord Mahävira, whereas others thought that 993 years had elapsed. Whatever may be the exact date, this Redaction of the Canon has been a momentous event in the Jaina annals. Its importance lies in the following particulars: (i) Not only were the works written formerly at Mathurā and Valabhi
again written and codified but some more were written. Of course we have neither a complete list wherein these works are enumerated nor any source which mentions the order? in which
they were written. (ii) A serious attempt was made to reconcile the differences in the
two versions pertaining to the councils held at Mathurā and
Valabhi. (iii) In cases where this failed, it was thought desirable to note the
variants, either in the original Agamas or their commentaries. In the former case, the variants were generally introduced by the words arra gu, of which a typical example is furnished by the following lines occurring in Pajjosaņākappa. (s. 147) :
“समणस्स भगवओ महावीरस्स जाव सव्वदुक्खप्पहीणस्स नव वाससयाई विइक्कंताई, दसमस्स य वाससयस्स अयं असीइमे संवच्छरे काले गच्छइ, वायणंतरे पुण अयं तेणउए संवच्छरइ इइ दीसई"
1. Cf. "Preparatoriaa 31 JA PITTUTA” (pp. 118-119) 2. None seems to have fixed the order of the canonical works available at present.
So I have taken up this problem. On a cursory examination I find that some of the Uvangas etc. were written first and then some of the Angas. See Tattvarasikacandrikā (pt. I, p. 49).