Schools and Sects in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Amulyachandra Sen
Publisher: Vishwa Bharati Calcutta

Page 38

PART II.
CLASSIFICATION INTO FOUR GREAT SCHOOLS.
The account of philosophical schools mentioned in the Jaina canonical literature has been dealt with exhaustively above but the most important part of the work yet remains unfinished, viz., their classification according to a method well-known in this literature.
The heretical creeds of the time were all comprehended by Mahāvīra under four heads, viz.
These four great schools comprise three hundred and sixty-three schools: Kriyāvāda consists of one hundred and eighty schools, Akriyavada consists of eighty-four schools, Ajñānavada consists of sixtyseven schools, and Vinayavada consists of thirty-two schools
The scheme of classification in details is as follows:
1. Kriyāvāda.
Kriya denotes the existence of jiva, etc., and those who admit the existence of jiva, etc., are called Kriyavadins.
The Jains have the "nine principles" of jiva soul, ajiva non-soul, asrava the inflow of karmic matter into the soul, bandha the consequent bondage of the soul, samvara stoppage of the inflow, nirjara shedding off the karmic matter, punya merit, apunya demerit, and moksa emancipation. Let us take the first, jiva and draw a table as below:
JIVA
1. Kriyāvāda.
2. Akriyäväda.
3. Ajñānavada. 4. Vinayavada.
kāla
nitya
svataḥ
anitya
isvara
niyati
Sat. S. I.xii.1; Sth. S. 4.4.345; Bhag. S. 30.1.824; Utt. S. 18.23; Nandi 47; and Süt. S. II.ii.79.
11 Sat. S. II.ii.79.
103 Nandi 47; Gunaratna quotes the following coupletAsiisayam kiriyāṇam akiriyavaina hoi calasii 1 Annania sattaṭṭhi venaiyanam ca battisam 11
nitya
atman
parataḥ
anitya
svabhāva