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INTRODUCTION TO ȘAȚKHANDĀGAMA
Dhavala, Jaidhavala and Mahadhavala
The only surviving pieces of the original Jain Canon of twelve Angas are, according to Digambara tradition, preserved in what are popularly known as Dhavla, Jaidhavala and Mahadhavala siddhantas. Manuscripts of these were preserved only at the Jain pontifical seat of Mudbidri in South Kanara. It is only during the last twenty years that copies of the first two have become available, while the last still remains inaccessible. How Shatkhandāgama was reduced to writing
The story of the composition of Satkhandāgama is told in the introductory part of the Dhavala which is the commentary. The teachings of Lord Mahavira were arranged into Twelve Angas by his pupil Indrahhuti Gautama, and they were handed down from preceptor to pupil by word of mouth till gradually they fell into oblivion. Only fraction of them were known to Dharasena who practised penances in the Chandra Gupha of Girinagara in the country of Saurastra (modern Kathiawar). He felt the necessity of preserving the knowledge and so he called two sages who afterwards became famous as Puspadanta and Bhutabali, and taught to them portions of the fifth Anga Viahapannatti and of the twelth Anga Ditthivada. These were subsequently reduced to writing in Sutra form by the two eminent pupils, Puspandanta composed the first 177 Sutras which are all embodied in the present edition of satprarupana, and his colleague Bhutabali wrote the rest, the total being 6000 Sutras. Date of Shatkhandagama
As regards the time of this composition we are told definitely that Dharasena lived after Loharya the 28th in succession after Mahavira, but how long afterwards is left uncertain. Most of the succession lists available show that the time that elapsed from the Nirvana of Mahavira up to Laharya was 683 years. Butthe Prakrit Pattavali of Nandi sangha carries on the list of succession from Laharya to five more Acharyas, the last three of which are Dharasena, Puspadanta and Bhutabali and makes
