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Education, Literature and Sciences
357 was handed down by the religious teachers orally in the form of traditions and was not committed to writing. Even those preserved orally took literary form after considerable time, and it underwent many changes in language and subject matter. Hence, it is not possible to offer a definite and true picture of literature. The achievements in some branches of technical literature also were of high order. THE JAINA CANON . .
Originally, there were two kinds of Jaina sacred books--- the fourteen Pürvas and the eleven Angas. The fourteen Pūrvas are said to be coming down from the time of Pārsva, the illustrious predecessor of Mahāvīra. Traditionally, the eleven Angas based on the teachings of Mahāvīra are said to have been composed by his immediate disciples but actually they do not belong to one period. The fourteen Pūrvas were reckoned to make up a twelfth Anga called the Drishtivāda. Mahāvīra preached his religion in Ardha-Māgadhi which is said to be the language of the canon. The language of the available canon, however, shows a great influence of Mahārāshțrī Prakrit. Besides, the present. canon has undergonc considerable modifications and interpolations and at the same time, certain canons or parts of the canons have become totally obsolete. Different names are ascribed to one and the same canon and the number of canons varies considerably.
The Agama or Canonical literature, according to the Śvetāmbara Jains consists of the eleven Angas, twelve Upüngas, ten Painnas (Prakirņas), six Chhedasūtras, Nandi and Inujogadtūra and four mīlasūtras. The cleven Angas are the oldest part of the Canon. On the other hand, according to the Digambar tradition, not only the Drishțivada but also cleven Angas were lost by degrees in course of time. They do not know of other works grouped as Upangas, Chhedasūtras, ctc., which are found in the present canon of the Svetāmbaras. A list of these texts according to the usual cnumeration is as follows: 1. Eleven Angas : Āchāra, Sūtrakṣita, Sthāna, Samarāja, Bhaga
... vali, Jiūtādharmakathās, Upasakadašās, rintakriddcias,
Anuttaraupapatikadašas, Prabnarjakarana Vipaka (Drishi ţi-văda, no longer extant): .........
