Jaina Ontology

Author(s): K K Dixit
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 21

JAINA ONTOLOGY
a rather new problem is introduced -- viz. the problem of a general definition of the real. This problem was unknown in olden times and was one which specially occurred to the Jainas as a result of watching the Buddhist-vs.Brahmin duel on the question. Umāsvāti's definition of the real viz. ut pada-vyaya-dhrauvya-yuktar sat (the real is possessed of origination, destruction as well as permanence) is extremely famous but let us not forget that an extensive elaboration of the definition came from the Jainas of post-Umāsvāti age and that in Umāsvāti's age itself the idea lying at the basis of this definition was rather new to the Jaina mind, 1
Periodwise classification of the philosophically important Agamic texts :
The above way of looking at Umāsvāti's problems would certainly have made little sense had we not at our disposal certain Agamic texts that are genuinely old. As a matter of fact, it is precisely because these texts exhibit no acquaintance with the specific atmosphere of Umāsvāti's age that they are to be treated as genuinely old. For the criteria of language, style, etc. --So useful elsewhere--are not of much avail in this case. We had earlier enume. rated the Āgamic texts which contain portions that are of philosophical importance. Now let it be noted that just two of them viz. Anuyoga and Nandi belong to Umāsväti's age. This in turn means that the follwing texts contain the oldest Jaina treatment of philosophical problems :
1. Ācārāngasūtra
6. Rājaprašniyasūtra 2. Sūtrakṛtāngasūtra
7. Jivājivābhigamasūtra 3. Sthānāngasūtra
8. Prajñāpanasutra 4. Samavāyāngasutra
9. Uttaradhyayanasūtra 5. Bhagavatīsūtra
10. Dasavaikalikasūtra All these texts include parts that are remotely old and those that are relatively new but only three of them include material that is apporopriate to Umāsvāti's age. For as has already been hinted, the Uttaradhyayana chapter 28 cannot but belong to Umāsvāti's age; (its other three chapters viz. 33, 34, 36 which too contain philosophical material may well be old). Similarly, Sthānāngasūtra and Samavāyāngasūtra include material that is much new and that is because of the very nature of these texts. For as has been mentioned, these texts are of the form of a number-wise cataloguing of all sorts of entities. As such they provide the largest scope for interpolations that go undetected and, as a matter of fact, in the body of these texts very late interpolations have actually been made. This definitely proves one thing. The preservation of Āgamic texts was in the hands of persons who were in no position to prevent possible interpolations. It is not difficult to see that the first srutaskandha of Uttarādhyayana belongs to one age the second to another, the first srutaskandha of Sütrakstānga to one age the second to another, the first twenty šatakas of Bhagavati to one age the last