Book Title: Sramana 2008 04
Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey, Vijay Kumar
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

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Page 196
________________ Jaina Canonical Literature : 191 regarded as the later additions by the scholars but in no way they are later than the c. 2nd or 1" B.C. The next work Daśavaikālika, composed by Arya Sayyambhava (c. 51h-44h B.C.) mainly deals with the ethical code of conduct of Jaina monks and nun along with the spiritual discourses and preachings. However, we cannot deny the possibility of interpolations to the some extent in its final editing The other works dealing with the ethical code of conduct are Niśitha, Dāsāśrutaskandha (Ayāradaśā), Vyvahāra and Kalra, all composed by Arya Bhadrabāhu in c. 3rd B.C. These works, apart from code of conduct deal with transgressions and atonements also. Against the general belief, that all the Argas are composed by the Ganadharas, direct disciples of Lord Mahāvīra, some scholars maintain that except Ācārāṁga and Sūtrakstānga, all the Angas are composed later on. In my opinion, it is very difficult to assign any particular date or authorship to these extant works because of containing different levels of the development of Jaina thought, occurred through different ages. After Ācārārga and Sūtrakrtārga, next two Angas in successive order are Sthānanga and Samavāyānga. They may be considered as Encyclopaedia of early Jaina thoughts and beliefs, mainly based on the numbers more or less similar to Arguttaranikāya of Buddhist tradition. Both these works provide more information about the Jaina order and development of Jaina thoughts of the later period, i.c., C. 3rd_4ch A.D. The next in the list is Bhagavatī (Vyākhyāprajñapti) which mainly deals with different aspects of Jaina philosophy. According to a group of scholars, this voluminous work was composed at different phases and not at one time. Evidently, it has references to the tater works like Prajñāpanā, Anuyogadvāra, etc. belonging to c. 1st-4th A.D. and side by side, depicts various earlier original concepts, witnessing change in the process of development of Jaina thoughts. The next work of early period is Jñātādharmakathā. Second part of this work is considerably later than the first. The first contains Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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