Jain Journal 1993 10

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

Page 13

OCTOBER, 1993
69
dition of the MS. it is worth while to note the statements of the three sämácāris in reference to the mahan. Āvi, treats of this subject (see pp. 447,448) in discussing the cheaggantha, and states that there were 8 ajjh. with 83 uddesas, The first ajjhayanam had then no divisions of this kind and was egasraram ; the second had 9, the third and fourth 16 each, the fifth 12, the sixth 4, the seventh 6, the eighth 20. The difference between this account and the information to be drawn from the MS. is very great indeed. (See above) Svi. and V., on the other hand (see p. 448), separate the mahānisiham from the other cheda texts, and treat, at the conclusion, of the jogavihi of the sacred texts after the painnagavihi. [460] They too agree with Āvi. as regards the number of ajjh. and udd. The seventh and eighth ajjh. are expressly called by V. cūlārūva (donni cūlão, v. 64). Forty-three days are necessary to learn the mahan., teyālisäe dinehim ajjhayanasamattı, but as two days are requisite for suyakkhamdhassa samuddesa and for aņuņņā, the total number is 45. The chedas 1,3-5 required together only 30 days. See page 448.
A statement in Wilson Sel. W. 1,341 (ed. Rost) is of particular interest :-“Vajrasvăm1886 instituted the Mahānisitha-sect”; and of equal interest are the remarks of Rajendra Lal Mitra (p. 227) in reference to three different recensions (vácanä) of the Mahānisitha. The question which is proposed in the introduction of chapter 22 of the Vicärämsta. samgraha substantiates the belief that the Mahaniśitha is tolerably old. This question is :--how is it to be explained that the prayascitta prescribed in the Mahāniśitha is not practised ? The answer to this includes chedas 1,3,5 and reads :-adhună maídasattvaiḥ kalpavyavahäraniśithamahānisithädınām ekatarasyā 'pi graṁthasya'bhiprayepa prāyaścittåni yatha caddodhaṁ (? 'vasodhuṁ) na śakyamte atas te sarvagaccheșu jitavyavahāreņa prāyaścittan(y) anucharaṁto drśyrnte.
The first mention of the mahānisiham, of which I am aware, is found in the enumeration of the anangapavițţha texts in the Nandi etc., where the schol. on N. explains the word as follows :-nistthāt parar, yat grarthārthābhyaṁ mahattarań tam mahāniśithaṁ. (461) We have already mentioned (p. 445) that the gacchāyāra states that it is based upon the mahān. as its source.
The introductory words are the same as in anga 1 etc. : suyam me ausar, tenam bhagavaya evam akkhāyam, and each of the ajjh, closes
835 Nominally 584 Vira ; see pp. 219, 231, cf. Avasy 8, 41 fg. Ganadharasärdhaś, v. 23
fg. In reference to the statement above, cf. pp. 463n and 464.