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some texts, especially the Puvvas were lost for good. From a historical point of view, it is not possible to say what texts formed the canon at the Pāțaliputra Council and what was the final form at the Valabhi Council. Thus a historical treatment of the development of the canon is not practicable. This hampers a great deal in studying the various facets, including that of monastic jurisprudence, of Jainism. What remains ultimately, in a broad sense, is the picture of Jainism upto the 6th century A.D. and that succeeding it.
Yet one more factor may be noted regarding the Śvetāmbara canon. Apart from the story of various councils and redactions, the number of texts to be included in the Āgama has been a matter of fluctuations. Whereas the standard list comprises forty-six texts grouped into angas, uvangas, paiņņas cheyasuttas, mūlasuttas and two miscellaneous texts, some scholars give a list of as many as eighty-six texts comprising the canon. (KAPADIA, Canonical Lit. of the Jainas, p. 58.) Thus, lack of disciplined historicity and precision of number prove a major stumbling block in dealing with the development of Jaina monastic jurisprudence, the laws of which are solely and basically incorporated in the canonical texts.
Well, this is the nature of the evidence coming from the Svetāmbara sources. As for the Digambaras, as noted before, they disown the canon as enunciated by the Svetāmbaras, and advocate the view that the canon was lost. It is irrelevant for us here to discuss the stories and circumstances connected with this matter; moreover they are well-known. The Digambaras, on the other hand, advocate a canon comprising angas, angabāhiras, anuyogas, the last being divided into four subdivisions. It may be pointed out that the texts incorporated into these groups cover a wide range of period. For instance, the first category e.g. the angas contain some texts which are akin to those of the śvetāmbaras, as for instance, the Näyâdhammakahāo. The second group comprises texts like Dasaveyāliya, Uttarajjhyayana and Kappa-vawahāra whose names are fami
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