Sacred Literature of Jains

Author(s): Ganeshchandra Lalwani, Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan

Page 20

SACRED LITERATURE OF THE JAINS
are a few additional names (50 instead of 45) and finally remarkable variations in the names themselves. The first two groups of angas and upāngas are identical, although anga 10 has changed place with anga 11, and the name of upanga 12 having fallen out, in it's stead another name (Kappiyāsūtra) has been introduced in the ninth place.36 The four Mülasutras appear as Group 3, and of these two have different names (2. Višeșāvaś yaka, 4. Pākṣika). Group 4 bears the title Kalpasūtras and consists of five texts, viz : mūlas, 1, chedas, 1 and 3, Kalpasūtra (part of chedas, 4) and Jitakal pasūtra Group 5 embraces 6 chedasūtras of which the first three alone are perhaps identical with chedas 1; the fourth corresponds to mülasūtra 4 of Bühler. The names are : 1, Mahānisithav shadvācanā, 2, Mahāniśithalaghuvācană, 3. Maharisitha (not in Rajendra Lal Mitra, but in Kashinath Kunte) Madhyamavācanā, 4. Pindaniryukti, 5. Aughaniryukti, 6. Paryușaņākalpa. Group 6: the ten painna or payanna texts, but in a different order. The Maranasamādhisūtram, which is in the eighth place, takes place of painna 10. Nandisütra and Anuyogadvārasūtra, counting separately as groups 7 and 8 respectively conclude the list. If, now, (228) after a consideration of the above, it is manifest that even the parts of the Siddhānta are at present uncertain, we have herein a sure proof of the unsettledness and uncertainty which attaches to the entire writings of the Jains. As a matter of fact it is apparent that the oldest portions of their literature are in reality nothing, but di specta membra, that they are very unequal and, as regards the date of their composition, separated from each other by extensive periods.
In the angas and upāngas we may observe groups, which are well defined, individual, and united through criteria which prove their interconnection. These groups were in a later age brought into connection with the other groups of like nature.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that a hand, aiming at unification and order, has been brought to bear especially upon the angas and upāngas. This is clear from the many remarks in reference to the redaction (Bhagav. 1, 389) which consist partly of the parallel references of one text to another, partly of kārikās which are placed at the beginning to serve as a general introduction or inserted in the middle or subjoined at the end. The linguistic character of those re
36 Here Kashinath Kunte deviates from Rajendra Lal Mitra, adducing the common
name of up. 12 but in the ninth place. A further variation is that in the place of Candapannatti he adduces the Mahāpannavanā, which is found in the list of the anangapayiffha texts in the Nandi. The Mahāpannavana is characterised as "obsolete and extinct" by Kashinath Kunte.