________________ The scriptures of Lord Mahavira are complied in the "dvadasangi" (the twelve canonical texts of the Inner Corpus). The fifth scripture is titled as "Viahapannatti" or Bhagavati Sutra. The Scripture Bhagavati Sutra is an exhaustive treatise on metaphysics. It contains an elaborate comprehension of both the realities --- the sentient and the non-sentient. Hence, it is unlikely that any branch of learning would have remained undiscussed, directly or indirectly, in this encyclopedic work. Such a voluminous treatise on the metaphysics is difficult to find elsewhere. It is indeed a tough job even to make a total assessment of all the topics propounded therein. The doctrine of Anekanta is applied to every metaphysical issues in the Jain philosophy in general and in Bhagavati in particular. In Mahavira's time, there were a number of schools of religious philosophy belonging to both the traditions --- the sramana and the Vedic. All of them used to preach their own views. Mahavira, however, independently expounded those subtle truths, which are not only philosophical but scientific in nature, by him through a long course of austerity (including meditation). For instance, the theories of sadjivanikaya, loka-aloka, pancastikaya, paramanu, tamaskaya, krsnaraji, etc., propounded by Mahavira and discussed in the present scripture are the indicators of independent identity of the Jain philosophy. विज्जाक belih भजैन विश्व रितीलाडनू Jain Vishva Bharati Ladnun, Rajasthan (India) सूबाये जगस्तान उवंगसुत्ताणि
