Jaina Culture

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 36

LITERATURE
The Saryaprajñapti is a work on astronomy. It is divided into twenty chapters. It deals not only with the sun, as its name suggests, but also with the moon etc.
The Jambūdvipaprajdapti is a work on cosmology. It has seven chapters. It gives a detailed description of the Jambadvipa continent.
The available edition of the Candraprajñapti is identical with the Süryaprajñapti. There must have existed in olden days two separate works of the names of Suryaprajñapti and Candraprajñapti dealing with the sun and the moon respectively.
The Nirayāvalika or Kalpikå gives lives of King Srenika and his sons in ten chapters.
The Kalpavatarsika also consists of ten chapters. They deal with lives of ten grandsons of King Śrenika. · The Puspika gives a description of the moon, the sun and other gods in ten chapters.
The Puşpacūliká also contains ten chapters. They deal with lives of goddesses Śri, Hri, Dhști etc.
The Vrşpidasa or Andhakavşşpidaśa has twelve chapters describing lives of twelve princes belonging to the Vrşņi lineage. Malasutras :
Two explanations are offered for the term "Malasútra'. Some scholars are of the opinion that the term "Mülasūtra' means the original text, i. e., the text containing the original words of Lord Mahavsra as received directly from his mouth. Some are of the view that the Malasätras are the fundamental .texts intended for those who are at the beginning of their spiritual career. The following works are designated as Mūlasūtras:
(1) Uttarādhyayana, (2) Daśavaikalika, (3) Āvaśyaka, (4) Pinďaniryukti or Oghaniryukti.