Sambodhi 1972 Vol 01

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 15

Historical Evaluation of the Ancient Jaina Texts
(iv) the nature of akala, dharma, adharma (v) the nature of kala
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Thus we have arrived at four viewpoints for tracing the historical evaluation of the contents of Jalna texts viz
(1) the viewpoint of a systematic treatment of ethical problems (i) the viewpoint of a reference to the problems pertaining to laity (1) the viewpoint of an elaboration of the rules of monastic life (IV) the viewpoint of a full-fledged treatment of ontological problems
Additional clues for determining the chronology of Jaina texts are provided by a consideration of their form- that is, their style of composition, their metre, their language As for style of composition, the earlier Jaina texts seem to have been of the form of ethical exhortation such as we find in the Aaranga I Śrutaskandha, Sūtrakṛtänga I Śrutaskandha, Dasavakalika and Uttaradhyapana The Uttaradhyayana also contains stories and parables which too seem to be rather old as is to be judged from an assessment of their contents A new form of composition 18 introduced in the Daśašrutaskandha viz a number-wise cataloguing of entities, a form whose classic efflorescence is to be seen in the Sthanangasätra and Samavāyāngastra which, however, contain material from all ages This was a form of composition suited to the most elementary level of theorization, but a more advanced such form appears in the Bhagavansulra where a question 15 posed, an answer to it is proposed and the reason stated for the same Really speaking, what we have here is the seed-form of the later commentary literature where too the reasoned statements are made in support of a theory under consideration Then there are texts which contain pure descriptive accounts such as the Acaranga 1 Srutaskandha ballad in praise of Mahavira and the portions of Juabhigamasaira and Jambudvipaprajħapti which seek to work out an elaborate cosmographic scheme Sometimes theoretical matters too appear under the form of a descriptive account and a classic such case is the Prajnapanasutra But this text is to be viewed rather after the manner of the Brahma nical sutra texts to which a commentary was to be provided orally That is to say, in the Prajnapanasutra theses are put forward but reasons in support of them are left to be understood with the help of a commentary-oral or otherwise
As for metre, the Jaina texts are composed in Prakrit and the standard Prakrit metre is Arya But Arya is a later metre and we have before us texts which contain no Arya simply because they belong to an age when Arya was yet to make its appearance Thus the Acaranga I Śrulaskandha