History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

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

Page 98

THE EXTINCT AGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
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canon. Besides, some of the Purvas are said to have continued to be extant long after the time which we have assigned for the formation of the new canon. At last they disappeared, not by an intentional neglect, I presume, but because the new canon set into clearer light the Jaina doctrines, and put them forward more systematically than had been done in the controversial literature of the Purvas."
The latest information we can gather on this point is to be found in L. Alsdolf's article A new version of the Agaḍadatta story published in "New Indian Antiquary" (vol. I, No. 5, August 1938). There on p. 287 it is said:
"I must confess that 1. do not believe in the legendary and biographical contents of the fourth part of the Dṛṣṭivada but regard the Jaina tradition on this point as unfounded. I agree with SCHUBRING (Lehre der Jainas, § 38) who has made it at least very probable that the real contents of the Dṛṣṭiväda, consisted of an exposition and refutation of heretical doctrines, and that this was the reason of its loss: it was thought undesirable to preserve these old discussions because their study could lead to a revival of heretical views and actions'. The four parts of the Dṛṣṭiväda2, viz. parikamma, suttaim, puvvagaya, and anuyoga, contained the "introductions", the "teachings" and the "pūrvapakṣa" (this, and not "old texts" being the real meaning of "puvva" !) which were refuted by the "investigation" (anuyoga). This well-nigh excludes the possibility of legendary and biographical contents of the Anuoga; and I think the reason why such contents were ascribed to it later is not difficult to find. It is certain that, though the traditional subdivision of the Dṛṣṭivāda is probably genuine, the detailed tables of contents given in the Nandi and in the 4th Anga are entirely fantastic because at the time when they were. composed the text was already lost and its contents were no longer known3. Now when the real contents of the Drstivada had been forgotten, this text became a convenient place where everything could be located which it was thought desirable to invest with canonical authority. And since a continuous and systematical account of the Jaina mythology and hagiology, the "History of the 63 Great Men", was not found in the existing canon, it was
1 If this view is accepted, how is it possible to account for the several heretical doctrines one comes across in Suyagaḍa ?
This has 5 parts in all, Cultyä being the last.
It is not a rule that on a work being lost, its contents get forgotten.
3
4
It appears that originally we had 54 uttama-purusas as is borne out by Samavāya (s. 54) and Silācārya's Caupanna-mahāpurusacariya (composed in Samvat 925), and it is Hemacandra Suri who was probably the first to have dealt with 63 salā kāpurusas by adding 9 Prativasudevas to the list of 54 great men viz., 24 Tirthankaras, 12 Cakravartins, 9 Baladevas and 9 Vasudevas.