Nirgrantha-1

Author(s): M A Dhaky, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 30

SOME PRAKRIT WORKS ON NON-RELIGIOUS/SECULAR LITERATURE
Jagadish Chandra Jain
What is customary or commonly practised as a matter of course, has to be accepted, is a popular saying. The Jainas have written considerably on religious subjects; however, they did not lag behind in composing non-religious/secular literature. They had to follow and observe local customs in cases they were keen to make their sermons of popular appeal. The Nīśitha-sūtra (19. 11-12) and its Bhāsya refer to four great festivals (mahāmahas), namely Indra-maha, Skanda-maha, Yakşa-maha and Bhūta-maha being celebrated on full-moon days of the four months when people passed their time in merry-making. There were other deities who were evoked for dispelling various calamities. The earlier Jaina texts such as the Arādhană of śivārya, the Brhatkalpabhāsya, the Vyavahāra-bhāsya, the Avaśyaka-niryukti, the Āvaśyaka-cūrņi and others lay down elaborate rules for disposing the dead bodies of the Jaina monks which were supposed to be left uncared at the mercy of wild beasts and birds. Similarly, though a Jaina Tirthankara, who is supposed to be passion-free and devoid of any kind of desire, is later associated with a śāsana-devatā or a guardian-deity of his church which clearly is an indication of endorsement of the prevailing custom with regard to Brahmanical divinities in pre-medieval India. Thus the age-old traditions and customs have to be taken into account for the sake of the welfare of the society.
As the well-being of mankind should predominate over religious considerations in civil or public affairs, it is necessary to have the knowledge of sciences such as medicine, commerce, astrology, economics, politics, music, habits of animals and birds, and so forth. Jaina authors have composed various useful non-religious secular works which are still lying in manuscript forms in Jaina bhandāras.
Some of these are as follows:
1.
The Agghakanda (Arghakanda): Argha is a technical term in jyotisa, meaning a collection of 20 pearls, having the weight of a dharana. A king or a ruler used to fix price of commodities in consultation with traders; it was known as arghasansthāpana (Manusmrti, IV. 8. 402). The term is mentioned in the Nīśitha-cūrni (13, P.400) along with the Vivāhapatala. It was consulted by businessmen for profit and loss while buying or selling commodities. The Brhatsanhită of Varāhamihira has a chapter Arghakanda-adhyāya containing 14 verses. The wellknown Jineśvara süri (early 11th century) in his Pañcalinga-prakarana (verse 72) has refered to Joisagghakandai. The Arglıyakanda by Hemaprabha süri, pupil of Devendra sūri (18th century) is available in Sanskrit (see Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur Collection, 1963, 1965). Durgadeva, a Digambara