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24
Letter 4 Many a times in the scriptures the particular point of view is not directly expressed or written in the statement. But the reader has to understand that point of view with reference to the other statements or the subject of discussion. In that case we can say that he has understood the Nayartha of the statement.
Let me explain this by a well known example from Ramayana. Sita is wife from the point of view of Rama. At the same time she is mother from the point of view of her sons Lava and Kush. Again she is daughter-in-law from the point of view of Rama's parents and she is daughter with reference to her father Janak. It can only be mentioned as Seeta is syat wife, Seeta is syat mother, Seeta is syat daughter-in-law or Seeta is syat daughter. Therefore it is for us to know from which point of view she is wife, mother etc.
(5) Matartha : Scriptures as told by Veetaragi and Sarvadnya are the ultimate and the final truth. And it is proved by various logical reasonings and deductions in the scriptures themselves.
For example a verse from the Jain scripture may be of only two lines, but each word in that verse is so properly and aptly used that it shows the fallacies of the other scriptures and theories of other religions or beliefs.
So in short, to know the exact logical theory and meaning of these scriptures and to understand the argument disproving other theories is called Matartha.
These are five different methods of understanding the meaning of scriptures.
Now we will see as to how these scriptures are passed on from one generation to another till today. And also we will try to understand the classification as per the subjects dealt with in each scripture.
As we have seen, these scriptures are told by the Veetaragi and Sarvadnya Arihant. And they were transcribed by the Ganadhara Tuter into twelve main scriptures which are known as Dwadashang TGP. ( dwadash igyt = twelve + anga af = parts ). For a long time they were passed on by one monk to another by word of mouth. Thereafter they were written down by the monks.
The most important thing about these scriptures is that they are not passed on just because they were told by one generation to the next one. But the Veetaragi monks and the Ganadhara prior to them had first experienced the state of pure soul i.e. Atmanubhava amarga as explained in the scriptures and then were passed on.
These present scriptures which are available to us today were written about 500 years after the 24th Tirthankar Bhagwan Mahavir. He
