Some Jaina Canonical Sutras

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

Page 71

CHAPTER XI
PRAŚNA-VYĀKARAŅĀNI (PAŅHĀVĀGARAŅĀIM)
The Paṇhā Vāgarana Sūya 1 (Praśna-vyākarana sūtra) is counted as the tenth anga of the Svetāmbara ūguma. It is otherwise known as Praśna-vyākaranadašā for the simple reason that it consists of ten lectures or chapters (ajjhayaņās), the five of which are devoted to the topic of anhaa and the remaining five to that of samvara. Abhayadeva Sūri wrote an authoritative commentary on it. It has been edited along with the text. Winternitz points out that it is a purely dogmatic presentation, which does not correspond either to the title of the work or to the table of contents in the Thānamga 10 and in the Nandi. Schubring (Worte Mahāvīras, p. 13) says that a later work took the place of the old anga which is lost. The title of the sūtra, Praśnavyākarana, implies at the first sight that the text is the catechism or book of questions and answers. But the text, as we now have it, is not of this nature. The contents of a Paṇhā Vāgaraña as given in the Sthānānga and Nandīsūtra presuppose a canonical work consisting of 108 praśnas, 108 apraśnas, 108 praśnā praśnas, vidyātisayas and discourses of saints with Nāgakumāras and other Bhavanapatis. The present text does not meet these requirements. On the other hand, it appears as a methodical and elaborate exposition of the two topics mentioned above. As such it may be judged as a learned dissertation on the subjects and as an important literary production of the scholastic age. Abhayadeva is compelled to explain the title of the present sūtra in a manner to suit its contents. He says, praśnānām vidyāvišeşāņām yāni vyākaraṇāni teşām pratipādanaparā daśā daśādhyāyanapratibaddhāḥ granthapaddhataya iti Praśnavyākaranadaśāḥ. The Praśna-vyākaranadašā is a treatise comprising ten lectures that establish the expositions of certain select topics. The methodical expositions are all ascribed to Sudharman the fifth ganadhara, who addressed them to his pupil Jambuswămin. The two main topics dealt with in this treatise are anhaa and its anti-thesis samvara. The term anhaa is equated with Sanskrit äsnavaḥ (āśravah). Thus anhaa is
1 The Agamodaya Samiti has published an edition with Abhayadeva's commentary (1919).
& Asnava is from a+root anu. Atrava is from root Sru, to flow, whence 'a flowing of the soul from the senses towards their external objects'. In