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(2) The Bhagavati XX.8 says that each Tirthankara teaches the Pūrva
kālika-śruta (11 Angas) and Drşțivāda in his own Tirtha, and the period of their duration are also mentioned in the context of 24 Tirthankaras' roles played in Bharata in Jambudvipa in the present cycle of Avasarpini. Mahavira's Pūrva is said to last for 1,000 years.
(3)
The Pūrva forms an independent literature different from 12 Angas as evinced, for instance, in the Nandi Therāvali 35 (39 in the Suttāgame) that speaks of Nāgārjuna to have been the knower of Kālika-śruta and the Pūrva, and in the Catuhsarana 33 that enumerates 14 Pürvi, 10 Purvi and 9 Pūrvi side by side 12 Angi and 11 Angi.3 Likewise, the Kal pasūtra Theravali speaks about Mahavira's 11 Gañadharas (in 9 gaņas) to have been 12 Angis as well as 14 Pūrvis. All these necessarily mean that the Pūrva is a literature different from the Drşțivāda. Also the Tattvärthasūtra X,7 Bhāṣyu refers to a rddhi called pada-prakarana-uddeśa-adhyāyaprābhrta-vastu pūrva-anga-anusāritva and its 1.20 Bhāşya lists all the names of 19 Angas up to the Drstipāta (but not the Drşțivāda). We should also note in this connection that in the Angic story texts beginning with the Jñātādharma, Sāmāyikādi 14 Pürvas and 11 Angas make their frequent appearance as the setphrases, but 'sāmāyikā di 12 Angas' or 'sāmāyikādi Drsțiāvda' never occur,
(4) In the post-canonical tradition, the Pūrva is believed as the source
of 12 Angas, for instance, in the Nandi Cūrņi (PTS, P.25) and Samavāya Tikā (pp. 130-31), as well as the source of certain Angabāhyas, 5 Also in the post-canonical age, it is generally stated that all the Angabāh, a works that are devoted to the doctrinal or philosophical discussions have the Drs ivāda as their source, and the Pūrva is also recognized as the source of Karmaprakrti, Pañcasangraha and other works on the doctrine of karma in both Svetambara and Digambara traditions. 6
(5)
The Bhagavati V.4.199 mentions that the 14 Pūrvi is possessed of a supernatural capacity called 'utkārikā bheda labdhi'. The Tattvār
3 D.D. Malvania : Ibid., pp. 205-206. 4 Ibid., pp. 202-203. 5 W. Schubring : Ibid., § 38. 6 D.D. Malvania : Ibid., pp. 207-208.
JAINTHOLOGY/95
