Mahaviras Word

Author(s): Walther Shubring
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 25

Mahavira's Words by Walther Schubring
model offered in the Samosaraṇa, and this without taking into consideration whether the sequence justified this beginning. For, although this anyway fits in before narratives, a wide gap becomes noticeable with dogmatic presentations, such as the Surapannati and Jambuddivapannatti, and the mechanical application becomes strongly evident.
It has already been mentioned that there are "false" vedha texts in the canon in frequent repetitions. They serve in the first place as fillers of a content full of gaps. A summarizing of similar material in "tens", dasă, became popular quite early." It was perhaps the Ayāradasão in which this first happened, because they alone are also called Dasão, without any differentiating specification. None of these tens in the canon is complete insofar as we are correct in demanding that the parts of the ten should strive towards different albeit similar intent. In the Ayäradasão (6) itself, in the eighth and tenth dasa, pieces appear which are alien to the content, in which the Pajjosavaṇākappa (which according to Thana 10 once formed the eighth dasa by itself), and the Ayaitṭhāṇa, completely differ from their context. When we turn further to the narrative works, however, then (we see that) in the Uväsagadasão the ninth and tenth legends are the same as the first under different names. In the Nirayavaliydão, Kappavaḍimsiyão, Pupphaculão and Vanhidasão brothers, sons, goddesses and princes have to help to bring the number, on the pattern of the first section of the teaching, to ten or twelve (in the Vanhidasão). In Anga 6 the past history and future of the goddess Kāli was used as a dhammakāhā without considering its negligible suitability. To serve for the restoration of the balance of both parts of the Nayadhammakahão the co-wives and the wives of all the other princes of this class of gods, the Vāṇamantara rulers, the gods of the stars Canda and Süra and the lords of heaven Sakka and Isāna were placed next to this wife (Kali) of the Bhavanaväsi prince Camara 205 times (see Weber 1883, p. 312 and Schubring 1935, § 46/6, WB).
According to Thana10 the Vivägasuya entailed ten chapters20 (which is why it is called. Kammavivāgadasão there), whereas today twenty of them are extant. This extension was undertaken for the purpose of presenting the reward for previous merit against the dire conse
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19
To what extent dasa was also understood as "fringe" appendage has to remain uncertain.
20
The correspondence with the text today goes further than what was supposed by Weber 1883, p. 270 because, apart from the pieces 1. 4. 6-8, Gottasa, anda, mahana and sahas'uddaha (so with B), i.e., "or" 2. 3. 5 and 9 are also still extant.
21 This designation should be preferred, but it is dictated by use. It seems that suya refers only to smaller texts, cp. Uvahāṇasuya Bambhac. 8 and Weber 1885, p. 88.