Samavayangasuttam

Author(s): Ashok Kumar Singh
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 17

Introduction
The scriptures or canons, English equivalent for āgama or śruta, are officially recognized sets of sacred texts, pertaining to any religious, philosophical, scientific and other systems. Lexically, the term canon connotes: (a) authentic laws of religion, spirituality, thoughts and behaviours, (b) a list or collection of authoritative books or writings, containing the above laws'. Webster's Encyclopaedic Unabridged Dictionary, mentions its meanings as: (i) an ecclesiastical rule or law enacted by a council or other competent authority, (ii) the body of ecclesiastical law etc. According to Oxford English Dictionarys, this term denotes any set of sacred books. Thus, canons are the basic literature of a system — religious, philosophical, scientific and others, regulating their working, following and progress.
Etymologically, the term śruta stands, in general, for reading, teaching and preservation of learning by successive and traditional teacher-taught hearings and memorised communications, in olden days. Its derivative meaning referred only the heard words and their meanings but comprehended other methods also, leading to knowledge and ultimately, all the instrumental causes leading to produce śruta4. However, in Jaina tradition, it stands for the knowledge, dealing with the spiritual and moral upliftment of living beings. The term āgama, a specific and later form of śruta, denoting form of general knowledge, implies valid and consistent one, imparted by the direct knower.
:. Besides, śruta and āgama, a number of other words are mentioned in Jaina texts. Anuyogadvārasūtras and Tattvārthādhigamasūtraó, mention ten and eight, respectively: With three in common, thus, total fifteen. The term śāstra, also frequently used, makes the total sixteen, connoting all-purpose utilitarian meaning implying: (i) those containing rules governing the society and individuals and (ii) those preserving the culture of the community. The synonyms for śruta and āgama may be put as follows: