Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons

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

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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
the commentaries on the Canons in Sanskrt, rctaining the Prakrt narratives in their original form. He has written cornmentaries on Avassaya, Dasaveyaliya, Nandı vnd Inuyoga He is also said to have written a commentary on the Pannazani, which is now lust.54 After Haribhadra comes Sīlānka Sūri, who lived about a century later and wrote commentaries on the firsi two Angas with the help of Vaharigani in about 862 or 872 A D. He is also said to have written comnicntaries on the remaining ten Augas which are lost now. Then we come to the commentators Vadivetüla Sānti Sūri and Devendragani, otherwise known as Nemicandra Sūri in the cleventh century. They wrote separate but exhaustive commentaries on the Crimujhajara retaining the narratives in Präkrt, in the manner of Haribhadra Sûri The famous Abhayadeva Sūri also belon, tu this period He wrote commentaries on nine Argus (III-XI) and th, uzuīza His commentaries on the latter and thic Navādamnakulu were verlid bv grcat Dronācārya, the uutlior of the commentary on the Ogha Nyuku Thunccmus Mal.Jhāni Hemacandra
senior centinipoiary of Jy Hinacandin anc o pupil of Abhayadeva, who curnmented un Inuyugadā Sūtra Malayagırı was another important authoi wlis wiotc commentariis on six cpuīgas II-VII) His commentary on the fambudúīcapannattı is said to have been lost, and that in the Punnainā is biased in Haribhacii's. He also wrote commeniul!) Un juala Bhasy., Pinda Nyukti, tasyaka, Bhathalpa Bhasa Inn pleh) in! Nardi He completed his commentary on Nandi in 1235 ADS Krnaliru completed the commentary on the Brhatkalpa Brüsya in 1276 AD Then Vijayavimala wrote his commentaries on thic Tundr.larryaliya and Gacchütūra in 1578 AD; Santicandra, suupil of Hirvijaya on the Jambuddizapannalt2 in 1594 AD, and Samaya Sundur galil on the Kalpa Sūtra in the 17th century AD." Besides, a large number of Dipikais, l'intis, ikās, arit diacúris were written on the canonical literature of the Jains, several of wluch do not exist now In the lika literature, the commentaries on the cassaya, Uttarajzhayana, Bihatkalpu Bhīsya, Vyarahasa Blāsya, hrīnānga, Bhagavati, Jambudúīpaprajñapli and Kalpa Sūtra are most valuable since they have recorded various important traditions
Thus the period of the Jain Canuns and their commentaries extends from the second century BC to the serenteenth century AD.
CONCLUSION Before we enter into a detailed study of the Jain Sūtras, the following points must be borne in mind.
Thic object of presenting this thesis is simply to cxaust the social, political, economic, religious and grographical material presented in the
84 The Commentary of ALalavagırı on Punruum. p 611. 55 Winternic, un cut , P 392
58 For other commentaries on the Kalpa Satra see the Introduction to the Kalpa Salir by Prof. H.D. Velankar, Surat, 1939.