Sacred Literature of Jains

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

Page 54

SACRED LITERATURE OF THE JAINS
the younger [277] brother of the former. The present commentary was prepared by him Saṁyat 1120 (A.D. 1064) in Aņabilla pāțaka with the help of Yaśodevagaņi, a scholar of Ajitasińhācārya for a panditaparşad, conducted by Sri-Dronācārya. According to Dharmasāgara's Gurvavali, the "navāṁgavrttik rt", Abhayadeva died Samyt 1135, according to others 1139. See Kl. 248b, 253b. (12.30).
IV. The fourth angam, Samavāya, "association, group, rubric”, in one ajjhayaņa, that consists of very heterogeneous parts. The contents of the first two-thirds is in general the same as that of the third anga, both being designed for instruction in the eighth year. See above. There is however the difference that the categories here exceed 10,160 and continue by progression up to 100161, and then per saltus far exceed 100. Immediately following, but without any logical connection, with this, is a detailed table of contents and extent of all the twelve angas; then all sorts of statements which cannot be united into one class and which deal partly with doctrine, partly with hagiology and, if we may use the expression, history or legend. This third part is without doubt to be regarded as an appendix to the first part, and the whole as a supplement to the third anga; as in fact we learn from $ 57 that angas 1 to 3 were regarded as a connected unit. We have here a compendium of everything worth knowing, [278] a perfect treasurehouse of the most important information which is of the greatest value for our understanding of the Siddhanta. Of, especial significance are, in the first place, the statements of literary and historical content in $ 1-100, in reference to the extent and division of the separate angas, etc. (statements which were doubtless the principal cause of the addition of the full treatment of this subject); the mention of various celebrated Arhats of the past 162 together with the number of their scholars (this was the cause of the addition of the concluding part); and the frequent reference to the lunar and naksatra computation of time and to the quinquennial yugam. The references to the yugam are exactly in the manner of the jyotisa vedanga, krttikā, etc , being the beginning of the series of the nakșatras..
Anga 4 begins, after prefacing the customary introduction (suyam me ausam, teņaṁ bhagavaṁteņam evam akkhayaṁ) with a fresh statement
160 The founder of the Kharataragaccha , see the pattāvali at the end of the Sabda
prabhedaţikā v. 2 (ms. or. fol. 813), and KI, 248a (11). 161 In § 1-10 there are many statements which recur in the same form in anga 3. 162 They are counted up to 100 as first, second, third samavāya (or in the neuter
samavāyam up to the hundredth.