Portrait of Jain Religion

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

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The twelve Anga Agamas give comprehensive coverage to detailed enunciation of Jain religion, its basic tenets and philosophy, modes of worship and code of conduct for the ascetics as well as the lay followers. They provide a treasure house of information in a rationally presented and scientifically articulated manner of the spiritual and philosophical aspects reinforced by relevant knowledge base of yoga and meditation techniques, cosmology, metaphysics, astronomy, astrology, mathematics, literature, history, geography, art, logic, music, stories and event narration. They also mirror the then prevailing socio-cultural environment, customs, traditions and the folklore.
Out of the 12 Anga Agamas, 1,7 and 10 deal with Samyak Charitra (rational conduct), while 2 compares Jain philosophy with contemporary philosophies during Mahavir's time. 3,4 and 5 deal with Samyak Darshan and Samyak Gyan, while 6,8,9,11 and 12 provide guidelines and lay down the road map for proceeding on the spiritual path leading to eventual salvation.
Digambar tradition maintains that in the long passage of time all the 12 Anga Agamas were gradually lost in their precise form. Swetambar tradition maintains that 11 agamas remained intact in memory, and were documented in oral tradition by swetambar monks during the two conferences held in Pataliputram (320 B.C.) and Mathura and Vallabhi (380 B.C.), and for the first time in writing at Valabhi in 520 B.C. The 12th Anga-Agama viz Dristivad was lost. It comprised fourteen Purva texts, also called the Purvas or Purva-agamas.
Sruta Kevalis inheriting knowledge of Dvadasang created additional Sutras (texts) further interpreting and elucidating the contents of the Anga Agamas. These texts came to be called Angabahya Agamas. As per Digambar tradition, there were in all 14 Anga-bahya agamas which were lost starting about 200 years after Mahavir's nirvana. Swetambar Murtipujak, Sthanakvasi and Terapanthi sects however maintain that there were respectively 34, 21 and 12 texts, all of which survived in memory and later rendered in writing.
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A Portrait of Jain Religion