Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): J L Jaini, F W Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

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Xxxvi
OUTLINES OF JAINISM
may be said in passing, credited with having taught the same articles of faith and practice as Mahāvīra. Only a survu-jña, one who knows all, can fully understand the whole truth as expounded by Mahāvīra; and, as men's capacity of becoming omniscient goes on decreasing, so the real tradition of Jainism also becomes every day dimmer and more and more inaccurately represented. The whole of Mahāvīra's teachings, when systematized, consisted of (1) twelve Angas, the last Anga, the Drishti-vūda, being subdivided into (a) fourteen Pariis, (b) five Parikarmas, (c) Sūtra, (cl) Prathamānuyoga, and (c) the five Chūlikūs; and (2) the Angu-būhyu Srutu. A brief account of these is given in Appendix V.
After the nirurīnce of Mahāvīra in 527 B.C. the knowledge of the eleven Angas and fourteen Pūrras was to a greater or lesser degree extant during 683 years, i.e. down to A.D. 156. The tradition continued to disappear, and its history, as recorded in the Jaina Puttavalis, is as follows: During sixty-two years after Mahāvīra, i.e. until 465 B.C., three Kevalins, Gautama, Sudharma, and Jambu, were the propagators, and all these three attained nirvana, Jambu being the last in the present era. After these, during 100 years, i.e. until 365 B.C., five Sruti-kevalins, Vishņu-nandin, Nandi-mitra, Aparājita, Go-vardhana, and Bhadra-bālu, carried on the tradition. So far the different Pattāvnilis agree in dates and names, as well as in the number of Munis who flourished in the two periods. But henceforward the different traditions divide the remaining 1 Concerning this and the following dates see note l on p. xxvii.