Jain Journal 1974 04

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

Page 75

APRIL, 1974
213
3. Canonical Literature of the Svetambaras
The canonical books of the Svetambaras (the Digambaras do not admit them to be genuine) are not works by Mahavira himself, but some of them claim to be discourses delivered by him to Indrabhuti, the Gautama, which his disciple, the Ganadhara Sudharman, related to his own disciple Jambusvamin.
Before entering on details about the existing canon, it must be stated that, according to the Jainas, there were originally, since the time of the first Tirthakara, two kinds of sacred books, the 14 Pürvas and the 11 Argas ; the 14 Pürvas were, however, reckoned to make up a 12th Anga under the name of Drstivāda. The knowledge of the 14 Pürvas continued only down to Sthulabhadra, the 8th patriarch after Mahavira ; the next 7 patriarchs down to Vajra knew only 10 Pūrvas, and after that time the remaining Pūrvas were gradually lost, until, at the time when the canon was written down in books (980 A.V.), all the Pūrvas had disappeared, and consequently the 12th Anga too. Such is the Svetambara tradition regarding the Purvas; that of the Digambaras is similar as regards the final loss of the Pürvas, differing, however, in most details ; but they contend that the Argas also were lost after 9 more generations.19
The 11 Argas are the oldest part of the canon (Siddhānta), which at present embraces 45 texts. Besides the 11 Argas, there are 12 Upāngas, 10 painnas (prakīrņas), 6 chedasūtras, Nandi and Anuyogadvāra and 4 Mülasūtras. A list of these texts according to the usual enumeration follows :20
(1) 11 Argas : Acāra, Sūtraksta, Sthāna, Samavāya, Bhagavati, Jñātādharmakathās, Upāsakadašās, Antakrddaśās, Anuttaropapātikadaśās, Praśnavyākaraṇāni, Vipāka, (Dưștivāda, no longer extant); (2) 12 Upāngas : Aupapātika, Rajapraśnīya, Jivābhigama, Prajñāpanā, Jambudvīpaprajñapti, Candraprajñapti, Suryaprajñapti, Nirayāvali (or Kalpika), Kalpāvatamsikā, Puşpikā, Puşpacülikā, Vrsnidašās ; (3) 10 Painnas (prakirņas) : Catuhsarana, Samstara, Aturapratyakhyāna, Bhaktaparijñā, Tandulavaikālika, Candāvijā, Devendrastava, Ganivijā, Mahāpratyākhyāna, Virastava ; (4) 6 Chedasūtras : Nišitha, Mahāniśītha, Vyavahāra, Dašasrutaskandha, Brhatkalpa, Pancakalpa ; (5)
19 For details see A. A. Guerinot, Repertoire d'epigraphie Jaina, Paris, 1908, p. 36. 20 For details see Weber, Sacred Literature of the Jainas, which first appeared
(in German) in Indische Studien, xvi (1883), and xvii (1885), and was translated in IA, xvii (1888) - xxi (1892).