Jaina Literature and Philosophy a Critical Approach

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Aspects of Jainology: Volume VI
comment upon. Their subject-matter can be inferred on the basis of their titles only. One Angasūtra, i. e., Dṛṣṭivada, 15 Kalikasūtra and 11 Utkalikasutras, thus, the number of extinct or not available texts, comes to be 27, in total. Except these 27, all the 51 texts are available. At present six Avaśyakas being counted as one, the number finally becomes 46. It is not possible here to deliberate on the corresponding authorship, date and subject-matter of each and every text of this list in this article, so I shall discuss, in short, only few important works in their chronological order.
Primary Canons (Angas)
Acaranga is considered as the oldest of all the works of the early period. According to the scholars, the first part of Acārānga belongs to the c. 5th-4th B. C. This part contains the original preachings of Lord Mahavira. It deals with the spiritual preachings alongwith the basic principles of non-violence and ethical code of conduct, prescribed for Jania monks and nuns. Its last chapter depicts a real picture of the ascetic life of Lord Mahavira. The 7th chapter of the first part is supposed to be lost after the composition of its Niryukti, i. e., c. 2nd-3rd A. D. The second part of Acaränga is known as Āyaracala - an appendix. It mainly deals with the detailed rules and regulations or the code of conduct of Jaina monks and nuns alongwith some of the events of the life of Mahavira. Modern scholars opine that the second part of Acārānga was composed during the c. 2nd-1st B. C. Another improtant canonical work of this era is Sūtrakṛtänga dating c. 4th-3rd B. C. This work is also full of spiritual and moral preachings but its peculiarity lies in the presentaion of different philosophical views prevalent in that particular era. Like Acaranga, it also comprises two parts ( Śrutaskandhas). Scholars are of the opinion that the second part of Sutrakṛtänga is some what posterior to the first. The third important work in chronological
order of the Jaina canonical literature is Isibhāsiyāim (Rṣibhāṣitaṁ ). All the scholars of Prākṛta and Jainology: Western and Indian, consider it of c. 4th-3rd B. C. It marks the catholicity of early Jaina thinkers. It contains the ethical preachings as well as philosophical views of forty-five thinkers. Out of these Narada, Asitadevala, Angirasa, Pārāśara, Aruns, Nārāyaṇa, Yājñavalkya, Uddālaka, Vidura etc. definitely belong to Upanisadic tradition. Similarly, Sariputta, Vajjiputta, Mahākāśyapa etc. belong to Buddhist tradition while Parsva and Vardhamana belong to the Jaina tradition. A few others are of other independent Śramanic tradition, not extant today. This work shows that in the early period the Upanisadic and other Śramanic traditions were tolerant as well as respectful to each other.
Uttaradhyayana and Daśavaikālika are other important works of this early phase. Uttaradhyayana contains thirty-six chapters, mainly dealing with the religious preachings as well as some metaphysical doctrines of Jainism. Some chapters of this text are regarded as the later additions by the scholars but in no way they are later than the c. 2nd or 1st B. C. The next work Daśavaikālika, composed by Arya Śayyambhava (c. 5th-4th B. C.) mainly deals with the ethical code of conduct of Jania monks and nuns alongwith the spiritual discourses and preachings. However, we can not deny the possibility of the interpolations to the some extent in its final editing.
The other works dealing with the ethical code of conduct are Niśitha, Daśāśrutaskandha (Āyāradaśā), Vyavahāra and Kalpa, all composed by Arya Bhadrabahu inc. 3rd B. C. These works, not only deal with the code of conduct but with transgressions and atonements also.
Against general belief, that all the Angas are composed by the Ganadharas, direct disciples of Lord Mahavira, some opine that except Acaranga and Sūtrakṛtānga, all the Angas are composed later on. In