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An investigation of the earlier subject matter of ...
Namipavvajā, Kāpilīya, and Sañjayīya etc. containing discussion of Pratyekabuddhas. Whereas some chapters like Vinayasutta, Pariṣahavibhakti, Samskṛta, Akāmamaraṇīya, Chullaka-nirgranthiya, Dumpatraka, Bahuśrutapūjā etc. are definitely Mahāvīrabhāṣita. Some of the chapters like Kesi-Gautamiya and Gaddamīya can be said as Acaryabhāṣita. Therefore, it is beyond any doubt that from the old redaction of Praśnavyākaraṇa, several chapters of Uttarādhyayana have been formed.
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It is noteworthy that Uttaradhyayana has not been mentioned at all anywhere in Sthānanga though it has been mentioned in Samavāyānga and Nandi. As indicated earlier, Sthānanga is the only text, which denotes the most ancient form of the Jaina literature. In my opinion, before Sthänänga, Uttaradhyayana was not existent as an independent text but was a supplementary to the Pras'navyākaraṇa.
The acceptance of Uttaradhyayana as Mahāvīrabhāṣita cannot be proved unless we consider it as subsidiary to Pras'navyakarana. While describing the subject matter of Uttaradhyayana, it is said that Mahāvīra attained liberation when he was describing the 37th adhyayana named pradhāna after delivering sermon about 36 notasked questions (apṛṣṭa). While describing the subject matter of Pras'navyākarana, it is said that it contains the asked, unasked and partially asked and partially unasked questions. It also proves the resemblance of Pras'navyākaraṇa and Uttarädhyayana, which tells about the unasked questions and its explanation.
Haribhadra (8th century AD) maintains in his Vṛitti of Avaśyaka-niryukti that Ṛṣibhāṣita and Uttarādhyayana are one and the same. Jaina Acaryas even up to 13th century AD believed that Rṣibhāṣita was merged in Uttaradhyayana. Vidhimārgaprapā of Jinaprabhasūri clearly mentions that according to some Ācāryas, Rṣibhāṣita was blend together with Uttaradhyayana. If we accept Uttarādhyayana and Ṛṣibhāṣita as one and integrated, we must consider former as first part and later as the last.
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