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INTRODUCTION
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The Sacred Literature of the Jainas outlines the funda mental principles of their religion, and contains the preachings of the Tīrthaṁkaras. The orthodox Jains believe that the canon originated at the time of Rşabha, the first Tīrthamkara; but modern scbolars have come to the conclusion that the present canon was composed by the immediate disciples or Ganadharas of Mahāvīra. A statement from the Avas'yaka-Sutra :- 3TECİ 3193 377&T T Trifa TUETT ABU 11supports this view, and the introductory and the concluding remarks of many of the canonical works, are a sound proof of the fact that Sudharman, the 5th Ganadhara after Mahāvīra, is responsible for giving a word-form to many of them.
Before this, however, the canon was not put to writing, but was handed down by oral tradition. The natural consoquence was that it soon fell into disorder. But every new Tirthamkara used to revise it. The preachings of the Tirthamkaras were practically of the same nature, and thus the fundamental principles of Jainism were preserved. The collective term given by the Jainas to their sacred texts is Siddhanta or Āgama.
The sacred literature, before Mahāvīra, consisted of the fourteen Purvas, or the Old Texts". The knowledge of these old texts was, however, soon lost. Mahāvīra himself taught them to his disciples. Only one of Mahāvīra's disciples banded them down, and they were preserved during six generations more, Sthūlabbadra being the last person who know all the fourteen Purvas.
Now before studying the canon of the Jainas, we must note an important event which took place in the 2nd century after Mahāvīra's death, and which divided the Jainas into the two great sects, the S'vetām baras and Digambaras.
At the time of Candragupta Maurya, a terrible famine lasting for 12 years, broke out in Magadha, and devastated Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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