Book Title: Outline of Avasyaka Literature
Author(s): Ernst Leumann, George Baumann
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Page 170
________________ E. Leumann, An outline of the Avasyaka Literature by the Sangha upon the unexpected death of Siriya by starvation. Sthūlabhadra's older sister narrates this in what follows more comprehensively in Hemacandra's version: Paris. IX 84-100. Śrīyaka (= Siriya) took ordination, together with us (sisters), but because he was always hungry, he could not fast. Then on one fast-day (paryuṣaṇā), I said to him: Fast once for a pauruși (three hours). After finishing this, I suggested a purvârdha-, then an apârdha- and finally an abhaktârtha-fast to him. The latter led to his death around midnight. Thus, I have blamed myself most severely. Although the Sangha did not wish to impose any penance on me, because of my pure intentions, I declared that I could only pacify myself if a Jina would declare me free of guilt. Then, the Sangha summoned, with the help of käyôtsarga, [25] the guardian deity of Jaina doctrine and requested it to bring me to a Jina. The deity granted my wish during the fulfillment of which, the käyôtsarga exercise of the Sangha had to be continued. Upon our arrival, the Jina, Sīmandhara, declared: This nun (ārya) is not guilty. Brought back by the deity and as a gift of grace from the Jina, by means of my own mouth I was able to hand over the four adhyayana-s Bhāvanā Vimukti Ratikalpa Vicitracarya to the Sangha. The Sangha attached the first two to the Acarânga and the last two to the Daśavaikālika. Here, Hemacandra has combined a Daśavaikālika-story with the above Avaśyakadepiction. Whereas the latter speaks only of both Acãrânga-appendices (Bhāvaṇā & Vimotti), the former mentions, in an otherwise identical context, just both Daśavaikālika-additions. Of course, it is questionable whether Hemacandra's summary is acceptable, because the appendix-motivation in the Daśavaikālika-tradition could have been a later imitation of the other. As far as the common contents are concerned, they could possibly imply under a spiritist pretence that Sthulabhadra's sister, in her flurry about the fate of Śrīyaka, composed the said results. Then, the Sangha might have adopted these as an appendix. None of these four, as their contents show, could have come into existence through the incident referred to, or even have been composed by a nun. If, inspite of this, there might have been some relationship between them and Stulabhadra's sister, it is, in any case, completely obscure as to what it might have been. After all of this, the Daśavaikālika-version is not in a position to verify the traditional dating of Sayyambhava and Bhadrabahu, which seems to be suitably fitting. Also, the Avaśyaka-version only proves that it was assumed fairly early that the Acarânga had been enlarged with the chapters Bhāvanā and Vimukti, and only later with the following Nisitha. It is decisive and characteristic that neither the Daśavaikālika- nor the Acãrânga-niryukti knows anything about the source of the discussed chapters. The correct Skt. form would be Śrīka. In fact, the authentic form of the Daśavaikālika-story is not yet available. A versification of it, consisting of four gatha-s, is found at the end of the Daśavaikālika-manuscript Br 5161, having 14 folios. It has been printed in the appendices of Jacobi's Parisiṣṭaparvan-edition, p. 36 and reads: eyão do culão āṇiyā Jakkhinīĕ ajjāe Sīmandhara-pāsão bhaviyajana-vibohan'atthae || khullo 'saṇa-dīhammi ahiyam kārāvio u ajjāe, rayaṇīe kāla-gao. ajjā samvegam āvannā: || kaham eyam samjayam! risi-haccā pāviyā mae ghorā! tā devayāĕ niyā Sīmandhara-sāmiņo pase || Sīmandharena bhaniya: ajje, khullo gao Mahākappe, mā jhūrasu appāņam, dhammammi ya niccala hosu || A Skt.-version that does not mention the nun's name and retains only the last appendix, can be found in Haribhadra's Daśavaikālika-commentary (ZDMG, VLI 602, 3-6). At the instigation of a nun, a novice is made to fast, whereby he dies. She blames herself and is pacified by Sīmandhara to whom she turns with the help of a deity as he relates Daś. XII to her. In any case, Hemacandra's adhyayana-names Ratikalpa & Vicitracarya are not exact; rather, the final chapters of Daśavaikālika are called (in accordance with Daś.-niry. 430 & 436 f.) Rativākyā (namely, cuḍā) and Vihāracaryā. Jain Education International 70 For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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