Jaina Philosophy

Author(s): Mohanlal Mehta
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Page 35

JAINA PHILOSOPHY : AN INTRODUCTION
The Aupapātika describes in full the city of Campā, King Kūņika, Queen Dhāriņi, Lord Mahāvīra etc. This work is of special significance from the viewpoint of these splendid descriptions, as no other canonical text contains such beautiful passages.
The Rājapraśnīya describes the life of King Pradesin and his rebirth as Sūryābhadeva. It contains a beautiful dialogue between King Pradesin and Preceptor Kesi regarding the identity of soul and body.
The Jīvābhigama or Jīvājīvābhigama deals with the animate and inanimate entities. It contains a detailed description of continents and oceans.
The Prajñāpanā consists of thirty-six chapters. Each of these chapters deals with one particular topic in its entirety. These topics are pertaining to different aspects of Jaina philosophy.
The Sūryaprajñapti is a work on astronomy. It is divided into twenty chapters. It deals not only with the sun, as its name suggests, but also with the moon etc.
The Jambūdvīpaprajñapti is a work on cosmology. It has seven chapters. It gives a detailed description of the Jambūdvīpa continent.
The available edition of the Candraprajñapti is identical with the Süryaprajñapti. There must have existed in olden days two separate works of the names of Suryaprajñapti and Candraprajñapti dealing with the sun and the moon respectively.
The Nirayāvalikā or Kalpikä gives lives of King Śreņika and his sons in ten chapters.
The Kalpāvatamsikā also consists of ten chapters. They deal with lives of ten grandsons of King Śreņika.
The Puspikā gives a description of the moon, the sun and other gods in ten chapters.