History of Jaina Monachism

Author(s): S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute

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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
The above discussion may be said to bring to prominence the comparatively greater antiquity of the four out of the six texts of the Chedasutras. We may not be wrong, therefore, in ascribing a period contemporary with that of Bhadrabāhu, to these four texts. The Rest of the Canon :
In the case of the rest of the groups of texts going under the name of the Upāngas, the Prakirņakas and the two miscellaneous texts, no clue for their possible date or even a tradition to that effect, can be had. The Upāngas :
The Upāngas consisting of a group of twelve texts, may be taken to be the result of an effort to have simply a parallel number of texts to those of the Angas. As a matter of fact, even though they are termed as Angas and Upāngas they fail to reveal any mutual relation between them, and "the connection is merely external”.69
We have already seen that only one text amongst these Upāngas, has been approximately dated, viz. the Pannavaņā which is ascribed to Ajja Sāma, who is said to have flourished in the fourth century A.D. according to some Svetāmbara Pattāvalis.70
Three other texts of the Upāngas—The Jambuddīva-Pannatti, Sūriya-P. and Canda-P.-deal with astronomical views of the Jainas. We have already noted JACOBI opining that Greek astronomy was introduced in India round about the third or the fourth century A.D. It is rather difficult to ascertain whether Greek astronomy had some influence in the formation of these texts.
Failing, therefore, to get any other evidence that can provide a clue to the dating of these and other texts, we may not be wrong in ascribing the Upāngas a period later than the Chedasūtras, even though there may be some portions of some texts in them which may be of a greater antiquity, The Prakīrņakas :
As the very designation suggests, the group of ten texts called as Paiņņas, are 'stray' or 'scattered pieces'. They deal with topics like proper and improper forms of death, the essential duties of the monk (āvassaya), confession and renunciation of faults, the offering of respects to the Arhat, Siddha, Sadhu and Dharma, information about the embryo, details about gods, and rules of behaviour in a gaccha or a unit of monks.
69. Ibid., p. 453; WEBER, 1. A., Vol. XX, p. 366. 70. See, KLATT, I. A., Vol. XI, pp. 247, 251.