Jaina Ontology

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

Page 96

THE AGE OF ĀGAMAS
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also whether there are fifteen topics in all). And even when questions are followed by an answer the precise import of the answer not unoften remains uncertain. The text purports to be a general treatment of the problem of mohaniyakarma (though, technically speeking, kaşāya is one subtype of one type of mohanīyakarma), but it is difficult for it - as it stands to be a composition of one author. For in the first 12 verses we are here told that the text consists of 180 verses which are thus divided into 15 topics, then allegedly follow these 180 verses (in fact 221 and 12 more) where the first two again offer a list of topics to be discussed - this list not naturally tallying with the one submitted just before. The 180 verses become 221 (plus 12) because those to be numbered 3-8 (in all six) deal with an irrelevant topic, those to be numbered 12-16 in all thirty five) with a topic not mentioned in either list-of-topics while those to be numbered 222-33 (in all twelve) are left unexplained even by the commentators; (in view of the fact that the printed text -- with Yativrşabha's commentary - starts its numbering from the twelve introductory verses we are not giving the actual serial numbers in question). But the archaism of the whole text does suggest that we are here having the oldest available specimen of describing the process called samyaktvot patti (15 verses), darśanamohanīyaksopan (5 verses), cāritramohanīya-upaśamanā (8 verses) and cāritramohanīyaksa panā (11 verses); (one verse devoted to desavirati-cum-sarvavirati is too brief to be muchinformative). These topics thus account for 143 verses of the text which constitute its crux. Of the remaining 37 verses (they come before those 143) 5 give synonyms for the names of the 4 kaşāyas, 16 describe the relative intensity of the different types of kaşāyas, 7 offer a psychological account of one under the influence of a kaşāya. These too are interesting — though not crucially important -- topics. Then remaining 9 verses (they come first of all) — out of which, as mentioned earlier, two enumerate the topics to be discussed while seven pose (without answering) six elementary questions (rather question-series) regarding mohaniyakarma. The posure of these questions, again, is revealing - on account of its simplicity.102
(E) TATTVĀRTHASŪTRA (SABHĀŞYA) In one sense Umāsvāti's Tattvarthasūtra is the crowning achievement of the age of Agamas. For its ten chapters - composed of crisp Sanskrit aph. orisms — lucidly summarize the Agamic position on different important questions related to philosophy, ethics and mythology. The chapters I, II, V and VIII touch upon the problems of philosophy, the chapters VI-X those of ethics, the chapter III - IV those of mythology. Let us confine ourselves to the chapters devoted to philosophy and there it will be found that they discuss following problems : Chapter 1
(1) Mokşamārga (1) (2) Samyagdarśana (2-3)