________________
PRAJÑĀPANĀ AND SATKHANDĀGAMA
The Anga Sutra Dṛṣṭivāda is the common source of both Prajñāpanāsūtra and Satkhaṇḍāgama. That is, both these works have drawn upon the Dṛstivada for the material contained in them. Again, both these works are of the nature of compilation. But their style of presentation is different. One should note the points of this difference. Prajñāpanāsūtra contains 36 literary divisions called 'Padas'. It keeps living being in the forefront. Satkhanḍāgama, in the first Khanda called Jivasthāna, investigates, through various points viz. gati etc., the 14th stage of spiritual evolution (gunasthana; here the term jīvasamāsa is employed for guṇasthāna), resulted from the destruction of Karmas. Of the remaining part Khuddabandha, Bandhasvāmitva, Vedanā-these Khandas could be said to deal with living being keeping Karma in the forefront. In the Vargaṇākhanda too the main topic treated of is the vargaṇā (class) of karma. The vargaṇā of others is discussed in so far as it is conducive to the understanding of Karma-vargaṇā. The VIth Khanda is known by the name of Mahābandha. Hence there too the discussion about Karma is the main.
Out of the 36 'Padas' contained in Prajñāpanāsūtra, the names of six 'Padas' (23-27, 35) occurring in the Prajñāpanāsūtra itself are 'Karma' (23), Karmabandhaka (24), Karmavedaka (25), Vedabandhaka (26), Vedavedaka (27), Vedaṇā (35). It is interesting to compare these names with those of the concerned Khandas of the Satkhaṇḍāgama, suggested by the commentator. The concerned Khandas of the Satkhanḍāgama discuss the topics more in detail and more minutely than the Padas of Prajñāpanāsūtra. Thus in Prajñāpanāsūtra, the discussions centre round the Jiva while in Saṭkhaṇḍāgama they centre round the
Karma.
Prajñāpanāsūtra prominently employs question-answer style adopted in Anga Sutras. And at many places it is clear that the questions and answers are of Gautama and Mahāvīra respectively. But Satkhaṇḍāgama employs the scientific method the constituents of which are Uddeśa, Nirdeśa and Vibhāga. Only
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
