Shatkhandagama Pustak 04

Author(s): Pushpadant, Bhutbali, Hiralal Jain, Fulchandra Jain Shastri, Devkinandan, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Jain Sahityoddharak Fund Karyalay Amravati

Page 35

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of the other infinities enumerated above. For, in the other kinds of infinity " the idea of enumeration is not found "l. It has also been stated that the numerical infinite is describable at great length and is simpler". This statement probably means that in Jaina literature ananta (infinite ) was defined more thoroughly by different writers and had become commonly used and understood. The Dhavalā, however, does not contain a definition of ananta. On the other hand, operations on and with the ananta are frequently mentioned along with numbers called samkhyata and asamkhyata.
The number samkhyata, asamkhyata and ananta have been used in Jaina literature from the earliest known times, but it seems that they did not always carry the same meaning. In the earlier works ananta was certainly used in the sense of infinity as we define it now, but in the later works anantananta, takes the place of ananta. For example, according to the Trilokasara, & work written in the 10th century by Nemicandra, Parita-ananta, Yuktananta and even Jaghanya-anantananta is a very big number, but is finite. According to this work, numbers may be divided into three broad classes:
(i) Samkbyāta, which we shall denote by- s; (ii) Asamkhyāta, which we shall denote by- a;
(iii) Ananta, which we shall denote by- A. The above three kinds of numbers are further sub-divided into three classes as below:1. Samkhyata (numerable ) numbers are of three kinds:
(i) Jaghanya-samkhyāta (smallest numerable ) which we shall denote by sj; (ii) Madhyama-samkhyāta (intermediate numerables ) which we shall
depote by-sm; (iii) Utkrsta-samkhyāta ( the highest numerable ) which we shall denote
by-su. II. Asamkhyāta (un-numerable ) numbers are divided into three classeg:(i) Parita-asamkhyāta ( first order unnumerable ) which we shall denote
by- ap; (ii) Yukta-asamkhyāta (medium unnumerable ) which we shall denote
by- ay; (iii) Asamkhyāta-asamkhyāta (unnumerably-unnumerable ) which we shall
denote by-aa.
Each of the above three classes is further sub-divided into three classes, viz. Jaghanya ( smallest ), Madhyama (intermediate ) and Utkrsta (highest). Thus we
1. ibid p. 17.