Sacred Literature of Jains

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

Page 90

82
SACRED LITERATURE OF THE JAINS
it is found in anga 3, 10 and in anga 4, (see p. 334) -and consequently points to 10 adhyayanas of praśnānām vyākaranāni. His words are :ayam ca vyutpattyartho 'sya pūrvakale 'bhūd, idānim tu aśravapaṁcakasaṁvarapamcakavyäkstir eve' ho 'palabhyate, atiśayānām.(cf. p. 334) pūrvacăryair aidańyuginăpuştā (napro?) lambanapratisevipuruşāpeksayo 'ttäritat vād iti. However, the corrupt conclusion is to be understood - cf. Ed. p. 499–one fact at least is patent ; that we have here traces of the manifest consciousness that the pūrvācāryas were acquainted with a different text of this anga than the aidaṁyugina. Everything shows that we are completely justified in asserting that we no longer possess anga 10 in its original, [329] or in its ancient form. The introductory words in the commentary of Abh, are a proof of this :-sriVardhamanam anamya vyakhyā kācid vidhiyate/praśnavyākaraņāṁgasya vrddhanyāyānusärataḥ|| ajñā vayam, śāstra idaṁ gabhiram, prayo 'sya kūtäni ca pustakāni/sūtraṁ vyavasthāpya tato vimrsya vyakhyānakalpad ita eva nai 'val/2/1.
It is perfectly plain from this that there is here a violent polemic against other text-forms.
That anga 10 originally, like angas 7-9 and 11, was of a legendary character (cf. anga 3, 10), is rendered probable by a comparison with upāngas 8-12, which are of the same character. Their position at the end of the upanga series allows us to draw conelusions in reference to the anga corresponding to them. If this be so, the transformation of our anga must be placed at a still later period than that to which we have to refer the harmonizing of the 12 angas and the 12 upangas.
There are various criteria contained in the anga itself which determine the late date of its composition. I premise that the introduction which we possess, consists, if the vocative Jambū be omitted, of three găthās, which state in brief the contents of the work :
nisamdam vocchāmi
iņam o anhayāsamvara-vinicchayam pavayaņassa nicchayatthar subhasitat thaṁ mahesihiml/1//
[330] pascavidho pannatto Jiņehiṁ iha anhaye aņātiye (aņādiu B)/ himsă mosam 388 adatta abambha is wanting ; perhaps ya) pariggahar ceval/21/
388 i. e. mitsavāda.