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THE GREAT SCRIPTURES OF JAINS
with the 12 Angas, the new canon compiled by the disciples of Mahāvīra. Gradually the Purvas were lost along with the twelfth Anga Dṛṣṭivāda which included a gist of them.
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The Nandi Sūtra provides a list of the 14 Purvas along with their contents. It shows that the Purvas consisted mainly of philosophical discussions. The word Pravada with the name of every Purva suggests the same thing. It is also said that they were in Sanskrit, and not Ardha Magadhi. Viseṣāvasyaka Bhāṣya says that the twelve Angas were composed out of the Purvas for the ordinary people. It shows that before Mahavira Jain religion also took interest in intellectualism and little attention was paid towards practical life. Mahāvīra gave his sermons in local dialect and laid more stress on practical side of religion, which is a common factor about every saint of India.
Authorship of the Present Agamas :
The present Jaina canon is divided into two main divisions of Angapavittha, i.e., included into the limbs of the personified scriptural knowledge (Sruta Purusa) and that which is not included. Authorship of the first group goes to Sudharman, fifth of the chief disciples of Mahavira. The second group is the contribution of later sages. Till one thousand years after the death of Mahāvira many new works were composed and got a position in the
canon.
Three Councils :
Like three Sangītis in the Buddhist tradition Jainas also held three councils for arrangement of the canon.
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