Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
B) POST- AND PRO-CANONICAL STRATA ETC.
The next stratum of Jaina literature, which deserves special attention in the survey of early narrative tale, is represented by Nijjuttis 13 that are something like commentaries which not only explain a few topics connected with the text with which they are associated by the application (ni-yuj) of Anuyoga-dvāras etc. but also supplement the information by giving the accessory details. There are Nijjuttis on ten canonical texts. Some independent Niryuktis like the Pinda, Ogha and Ārādhanāare there: the first two appear to be the supplements of Daśavaikālika- and Avaśyaka-niryukti; while the last is known only from a reference11, and it appears probable that it might have been absorbed in texts like the Bhagavati Ārādhanā, Maraṇasamāhi15 etc. More than once the legendary environments of a certain discourse are given by the Niryukti: for instance, it is the Niryukti that gives details about Ardraka (in the Suyagaḍam) who held a debate with Gosala etc., as noted above. The Niryuktis themselves have many significant contexts and references which necessitated the subsequent Cūris, Bhāṣyas and Tikās to give elaborate Kathānakas for a clear and full explanation. A few examples may be noted. The Uttarādhyayana-niryukti refers to Dhanamitra, Hastimitra, Svapnabhadra etc. to illustrate how bravely they faced
13 On the Niryuktis the following sources may be studied. Leumann: Daśavaikālika-sūtra Niryukti, ZDMG, 46, pp. 581663, and Ubersicht über die Avasyaka-Literature, Hamburg 1934: Ghatage: The Dašavaikālika-, and Sūtra-kṛtānganiryukti, Indian H. Quarterly, vol. XI, 4 and vol. XII 2; Charpentier Intro.. pp. 48-52, of Uttaradhyayana, Uppsala 1922; Chaturavijayaji: Anekānta III, pp. 678-684.
14. Mūlācāra V. 82, P. 233, ed. Māņikachandra D. 3.
Granthamālā No. 18, Bombay Samvat 1977.
15. The concluding gathās of Maranasamāhi are very significant and interesting. This work has inherited ideas, and possibly verses also, from eight earlier texts: 1) Marana-vibhatti, 2) Maraṇa-visohi, 3) Marana-samahi, 4) Samlehaṇāsuya, 5) Bhatta-pariņņā, 6) Aurapaccakkhāṇa, 7) Mahāpaccakkhāṇa, and 8) Arahaṇāpainna.