Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

Author(s): Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company

Page 43

THE CANONS OF THE JAINS
41
Kalpa Sūtra, Vyavahāra Sūtra and Nisitha Sutra are very important as they contain most valuable information regarding various topics, particularly the life of monks and nuns and the society of those early days. The Bhāsya on the Brhatkalpa Sūtra is written by Sanghadāsagani Kşamāsramaņa -5° most of the Bhāsas, however, are annonymous.
(3) Cuņņi
After Bhasa comes Cunni, an intermediate stage between the two periods, Bhāsa on one hand and the Tikä on the other. Gunni is an intermixture of prakrt and Sanskrt languages pointing out an important era in the history of the Jain annals when by slow stages Sanskrt was taking the place of Prākrt in the history of the Jain literature.
The following Agamas contain Cunnis -
(1) Āvāra, (2) Süyagada, (3) Vrāhapannattı, (4) Jivābhigama, (5) Jambuddivapannatti, (6) Nisīha, (7) Mahānisīha, (8) Vavahāra, (9) Dasāsuyakkhandha, (10) Kappa, (11) Pancakappa, (12) Oha Nezjutti, (13) Pancamangalasuyakkhandha, (14) Fiyakappa, (15), Uttarajıhayana, (16) Avassaya, (17) Dasaveyāliya, (18) Nandi, (19) Anuogadāra and (20) Pakkhiya Suttal Out of these a very few Cunnis have seen the light of day so far Some of them have been edited by Muni Anandasagarajı from RutlamA cyclostyled copy of the Nesīha Cunni available in some of the Bhandaras and Libraries, has been edited by Acārya Vijayaprema Sūrisvara, which is utilised in the present thesis. Most of the published Cunnis are ascribed to Jinadāsagani Mahattara. Out of the available Cunnus the Āvassaya and Nisiha are most important as they contain a most valuablc treasure of information from the point of view of Jain history and culture The Nisītha refers to Ārya Kālaka, a contemporary of king Sālivālana of paitthāna, who proceeded to Persia (Parasaküla) and returned with ninety kings (Saha) to take revenge on king Gaddabhilla of Ujjeņi, who is said to have abducted Kalaka's sister and kept her in his haicm. The Avassaya Cunni records a tradition of flood in Sāvitthı after thirtcen years of which Mahāvīra attained kevalahood 53 It also refers to important kings and princes contemporary to Mahāvīra and various other traditions. The Cunnis are also important from the point of view of philological studies.
(4) Pika Haribhadra Sūri (705-775 A.D.) was a most distinguished and versatile writer, who is considered to have written for the first time
60 This is cdited with the Vrilt of Malayagini and Kycmakilti in the Atmānanda Jain Granthamāla by learned scholar Muni Punya ijayaji
61 See H R. Kapadia, op. cit., p 190.
63 The Alasyaka Cürni, according to Leuman, belongs to 600 650 A.D. (Schubring. op. cit., p. 60), of a verse from the Manusmrit (IV 85. also Mahābha. XIII. 141, 19) is quoted in the Acāranga Cunnt (p. 97), also from the Pralynayauganadharāyana (3 9) of Bhasa (Poona, 1937) in the Alasyaka Cūrni II, p 162).
63 cf. also the same tradition recorded in the Maccha Jataka (Vol. I, No. 75).