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PREFACE
The Text of Nihnavavada.
Sources.
It is now & welkgon a fact that Rişabhadeva Swāmi, the first Tirthankara of the present series, was the founder of the Jaina Canon. It was during his regime that the Sacred Works of the Jaidas came into existence. After him, the Sacred Works increased in number and quality when the religion was exalted to high rank, but they were reduced considerably in times of disorder and anarchy. Generally speaking, preachings of all the Tirthankaras happened to be of the same kind, and their lives were almost similar to each other in principal characteristics.
Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahavira, the elder contemporary of Gautama Buddha, was the last, but Supreme Tirthankara in their whole dy'pasty. Like His predecessors, He too had got his preachings composed in books. His Ganadharas or principal disciples arranged those preachings in twelve Angas, the last one being divided into fourteen Parvas. The Absolute Knowledge of these Poryas began to fade gradually till at last it was totally extinct. Arya Jambo Swami was the last Kövalin. After him there were half a dozen Pattadharas designated as ŚrutaKavalins. Then there were ten Dasaporvins, possessing the knowledge of ten Parvas only. Arya Vajra Swami was the last Dasaparvin, after whom the knowledge of Parvas began to fade quickly. Devarddhigani Kşamāśramaņa was the last of the type which possessed the knowledge of one Parva only.
Thus, when the knowledge of the original preaching of śramaņa Bhagavan Mahavira was fast disappearing, it wa rightly felt by some of his successors to commit those preachings to writings. As a result of such efforts, forty-five Sacred Works
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