Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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Twenty-Four Tirthankaras and Their Activities and Teachings
period than the Angas. According to Winternitz112 Dasaveyaliya was written by Sejjambhava, the fourth head of the Jaina Sangha after Mahāvīra, but he believes the first one to be of much antiquity and as 'the oldest nucleus', referring to the ascetic poetry of ancient India'.113 Jacobi also places it later than the Sūtrakrtānga 114 The rest of the Sūtras seem to be of later phase of Jaina asceticism.
of the six Cheyasuttas (Chedagrantha) viz., Daśāśrutaskandha, Kappa or Brhat-kalpa, Vavahāra (Vyavahāra-sūtra), Nisiha (Nišitha), Mahanisiha (Mahānisītha) and Pañcakappa, the authorship of the first three goes to Bhadravāhu who is said to have born of a Brāhmana family at Kotikopra in Pundravardhana.'15 Winternitz116 takes at least the part of Samācāri, dealing with rules of rainretreat to be the work of Bhadravāhu and thinks of the rest to be later additions. He observes many similarities between Nisiha and Ācārānga. The other works are placed in the later period.
Apart from these, there are twelve Upāngas, namely, Uvaväi (Aupapātika), Rāyapaseņi (Rājāpraśnīya), Jivābhigama, Pannavaņā (Prajñāpanā), Jambu-divapannati (Jambūdvīpa-prajñāpti), Surapannati (Sürya-prajñāpti), Canda-pannati (Candra-prajñāpti). Nirayāvali. Kalpāvatarsikā, Puşpikā, Puşpacūlikā and Visnidaśā. These works
enerally placed in the third-fourth centuries AD on the basis of astronomical ground.
The ten Prakīrņakas scattered pieces, namely, Catuḥ-sarana, Ātura-pratyākhyāna, Bhakta-parijñā, Suistāraka, Tandula-vaitalika, Camdāvījjhaya, Devendra-stava, Garividyā, Mahāpratyakhyāna, and Vira-stava, dealing with the duties of monk are also equally placed in the later period like the Upāngas. Besides these, a pair of texts, called Nandi-sütra and Aņuyogadvāra and the works of commentaries called Nijjuti are believed to have been written in a much later period, probably after sixth century AD. It may be mentioned in this connection that the Nandi-sūtra and Anuyogadvāra are considered according to the Sthānakavāsī canon, among the four Müla-granthas.117
Thus, it is interesting to note that with its spread and a shift in its centre of gravity, there also occurred distinct changes in the organisation of its order, and its religious texts. The division of the community into Svetāmbaras and Digambaras had become finally settled, and it effected a separation not only among the monks but also in the ranks of the laity. With the lapse of time