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texts were organised in their present form and reduced to writing. Sauraseni Canonical Literature -
As has been pointed out earlier, the Digambara tradition holds the view that only a part of the canonical knowledge, inherited from tradition and imparted by Lord Mahāvīra, was retained by the monks through their monastic Śruta-tradition and the Sauraseni canonical works were composed by the learned masters based on this remnant knowledge. The Saurasenī canonical works are as under
Satkhandagama -
This most revered and the most voluminous of the Śaursenī canonical works, in six parts, was composed by two Digambara monks Puspadanta and Bhutabali under the auspices of Acārya Dharasena. By various considerations and available evidence it has been surmised that this work was composed in the first century of the Saka Era. The details of its six parts are as
under:
1. Jīvatthāṇa- In this part, Jīvasthāna, various attributes, nature and conditions of the living beings have been described in relation to eight considerations. These eight considerations are 1. Reality (Sat), 2. Number (Sankhya), 3. Area (Ksetra), 4. Touch (Sparsan), 5. Time (Kāla), 6. Difference (Antar), 7. State (Bhāva) and 8. Maximum-Mimimum (Alpa-bahutva).
2. Khuddabandha In this part, 'Kṣudrakabandha', in thirteen chapters, the karmic bondability (bandhatva) or otherwise (Abandhatva) of any living being has been analysed in accordance to his station in the journey towards spiritual emancipation (Mārgaṇā-sthāna or way— station). This part is very important from the point of view of 'Theory of karma (Karma-Siddhānta)'.
164: JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES