Jaina Literature form earliest time to century 10th AD

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Z_Shwetambar_Sthanakvasi_Jain_Sabha_Hirak_Jayanti_Granth_012052.pdf

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Aspects of Jainology : Volume VI
their subjects exhaustively. We find a rich cultural data and some informations about the cultural history of India in the Bhāşyas.
Next, the Cürnis, unlike the Niryuktis and Bhāşyas are written in prose. Niryuktis and Bhāsyas are written in Prākṣta only, while the Cürnis in Prākrta mixed with Samskrta. Among Cūrnis -- Āvaśyaka, Daśavaikālika, Uttarādhyayana, Sūtra- krtānga, Anuyogadvāra, Nandi and Niśitha, are the most important.
All these Cūrnis were written by Jinadāsa- gani Mahattara. In Nandicūrni it is clearly mentioned that this work was completed in saka Samvat 598 corresponding to 676 A. D. It is, therefore, concluded that most of the important Cūrnis were written in c. 7th A. D. Some Cūrņis viz., Daśavaikālika of Agastyasimha and Curņisūtras on Kasāyapāhuda sutta are the earlier among the Cūrņi literature.
Among whole of the commentary literature Cūrnis hold an important place because first, they deal with the various subjects and are directly concer- ned with social and cultural heritage of Jainism. Sec- ondly, they supply so many informations about the Jaina History pertaining c. Ist-6th A. D.
Cūrnis were succeeded by Samskrta com- mentaries, written on different Āgamic texts, known as Vittis or Vivaranas. Among Samskrta commenta- tors Haribhadrasūri is the earliest, flourished in the middle of the c. 8th A. D. He wrote commentaries on Avaśyaka, Daśavaikālika, Jivabhigama, Prajñāpanā, Nandi, Anuyogadvāra and Pindaniryukti. Śilānkā- cārya, flourished in the c. 9th A. D. believed to have written several commentaries on Āgamas but unfor- tunately at present only two commentaries on Acārānga and Sūtrakstānga, are available. After Śilānka, Abhayadevasüri and śāntisūri are the promi- nent names among commentators. Abhayadevasūri has commented on nine of eleven Angas except Ācārānga and Sūtrakītānga, hence called Navārgi-
vrttikāra. Sāntisūri has written a commentary on Uttarādhyayanasūtra. Both of these later Samsksta commentators flourished, during c. 10th-11th A. D. This trend of commentary-writing is still current in Svetāmbara tradition.
In Digambara tradition, Kasāyapähudasutta and Satkhandāgama are considered as equivalent to agamas. These works are written in c. 4th-5th A. D. On Kasāyapāhudasutta first commentary was written by Yativrşabha in the form ofCurņi-sūtras inc. 6th A. D. After that inc. 9th A. D. Virasena wrote two commentaries Jayadhavală and Dhavalā on Kaşāyapāhuda and Satkhandāgama, respectively. Mahādhavalā is a commentary on the one part of Şatkhandāgama, written by his disciple Jinasena. These commentaries mainly deal with Jaina philosophy in general and Karma theory in particular. 2. Important Philosophical Works of this Period
Among the Jaina philosophical works composed between c. 3rd-10th A.D., the Tattvärthasūtra, with its auto-commentary by Umāsvāti, is the pioneer one and may be considered as the first systematic work on Jaina philosophy. Composed in c. 3rd A. D., it also has the credit of being the first Samskrta work of Jaina literature, written in the style of other Sūtragranthas of Indian philosophy. The especiality of this work is that it is equally respected as well as accepted by both the sects of Jainism - Svetāmbara and Digambara. It encompasses ten chapters dealing with Jaina metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Its first chapter deals mainly with Jaina theory of knowledge, Naya and Nikșepa, second with Jiva ( living substance ), third and fourth with hells and heavens, fifth with Jaina metaphysics, sixth to ninth chapters with Jaina doctrine of Karma and Jaina sādhanā or ethical code of conduct of house-holders and monks, respectively. Finally, the tenth one deals with the concept of liberation (mokşa). Notably, the concept of Guņasthāna and Saptabhanginaya ( Seven-fold