Portrait of Jain Religion

Author(s): Narendra Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 63

CHAPTER - 7 JAIN SCRIPTURES
Although Jain religion owes its origin to the teachings of the first founder Tirthankar Rishabhnath, its sacred literature was, for the first time, given an organized and systematic format by the last and 24th Tirthankar Mahavir in about 600 B.C. Until then principle tenets, doctrines, rituals and practices as they kept evolving remained preserved in memory as per the then prevalent oral tradition and passed on from generation to generation by sramana ascetics and Tirthankars. Indrabhuti Gautam, the chief disciple of Bhagwan Mahavir codified and classified the teachings of Omnicient Mahavir based on his innumerable sermons and long philosophical debates and discussions with his principal disciples called the eleven Ganadharas led by Indrabhuti Gautam. Learned Ganadhars followed by Sruta Kevalis and later Daspurvis methodically compiled, composed and preserved these teachings in the oral format during 150 years after the nirvana of Mahavir in form of 12 main texts (sutras). When they were originally revealed by Bhagwan Mahavir, the medium of revelation was Ardhamagadhi, otherwise called Prakrit, the language of the common public. These 12 main texts came to be called Anga-Agamas. AngaAgamas or Dvadasang are the oldest scriptures and they constitute the soul and the backbone of the extensive canonical literature developed by both Digambar and Swetambar Jain traditions. It is noteworthy that Jain religion does not have one single sacred book like the Koran in Islam and the bible in Christianity. Its scriptural literature together with learned commentaries written on them in later centuries by learned ascetics runs into volumes.
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A Portrait of Jain Religion