Jain Journal 1968 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 14

JULY, 1968
too has a chapter on pindaișana. Perhaps because of a more exhaustive treatment, Pinda-niryukti has been given the rank of a Mula Sutra. Among other things, Ogha-niryukti has valuable materials for the compilation of the history of the Jaina Sangha.
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If the Mula Sutras provide a positive prescription about behaviour, the Cheda Sutras indicate the outcome of a deviation or a gap and how to make it up through penance. There are many other items taken note of; but the dominant tenor is the fall from the prescribed behaviour. Hence the Cheda Sutras have a significant place in the Jaina Agamas. If the life of a śramana is central to Jainism, a knowledge of the Cheda Sutras is central to the life of a śramaṇa, so that he may remain steadfast on the right track till the end is attained. Without the knowledge of the Cheda Sutras, a full observance of the prescribed life becomes pretty difficult. As the author has rightly said, the Cheda Sutras are a key to Jaina practices, an invaluable gem of Jaina culture, a glory of Jaina literature. More important of the Cheda Sutras of which note has been taken, are Dasaśrutaskandha, Bṛhat Kalpa, Vyavahara, Nisitha, Maha-nisiitha and Jita Kalpa. Some of these are written in prose.
The remaining two sections deal with Culika Sutras and miscellaneous Sutras, of which there used to be perhaps 14000 but not more than 10 are known at this date. Culikā is a sort of post-script for the elaboration of certain important themes which could not find place in the original texts. Thus there are such post-scripts at the end of Dasavaikālika and the Mahānikitha Sutras. But in view of the importance of such post-scripts, these in themselves may become independent Sutras. In this category fall Nandi Sutra and Anuyogadvāra Sutra. But then post-script is not the only description for these Sutras; in a sense, they are also an introduction, for they contain elaboration of certain technical words used in the Agamic texts. The later assertion is more applicable to the Anuyogadvāra than even to the Nandi, and hence a thorough knowledge of the former is indispensable to the complete understanding of the Agamas.
As the authors have strictly adhered to the original texts in providing their substance in lucid Hindi, no much comment is necessary on the text in this review. The interested reader may derive much benefit from the details of the text itself. Since the Agamic literature is tough reading, beyond the resources and equipment of a vast majority of readers, the authors have indeed done a very great service to a really noble cause by presenting such a faithfully compendium.
-K. C. Lalwani.