Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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Sec. 1] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA Canonical work is represented by the fourteen Purvas or the former scriptures and the twelfth Anga, Drstivāda, now regarded as lost. The knowledge of those Purvas also gradually became extinct witbin one thousand years after the Master's demise.
Table of the contents of the Purvas preserved in the Nandi Sūtra' are as follows: (1) Uppāya (Utpādu', (2) Aggā. ṇīya (Aggāṇīya = Agrāyanīya), (3) Viriyappavāya (Viryapravāda), (4) Atthinatthipparāya (Astināsipravāda), (5) Nānappavāya (Jhānapravāda), (0) Saccappavāya (Satya-pravāda), (7) Āyappavāya (Atma pravāda), (8) Kummappavāya (Karmapravāda), (9) Paccakkhānappavāya (Pratyākhyāna-pravāda), (10) Vijjānuppavāya (Vidyānupravāda), (11) Avamjhu (Avandhya), (12) Pāṇāu (Prānāyuh), (13) Kiriyāvisāla (Kriyāvisāla) and (14) Logabindusāra (Lokabindusāra).
According to the tradition they formed a vast volume of the sacred literature and the present Agamas are said to have been extracted from one single small section.
It is recorded in the Bhs that Gośāla Mankhaliputra, the Ajīvika leader took his doctrine from the eight Mahānimittas (eight great causes) which were a portion of the Purvas (atthaviha-Puvvagaya)* (i. e. Vijjānuppavāya). So the Pūrvas were older than Lord Mahāvīra, as it is known from the fact that there are frequent references to them in this canonical work as existing even in the time of Munisuvrata" and Dharmaghoşa, a disciple's disciple of Vimala, the thirteenth Tīrthankara'.
There appear to be two traditions of the Pîrvas, viz. Dasapūrvas (ten pūrvas), and C'aturdasa Pūrvas (fourteen Pürvas) as recorded in the Dhavalā (Satkhandāgama) vol. 8. “Namo dasa puvviyāṇamo (Salutation to Daśapūrvis) Namo Coddasapuyviyāņań? (Salutation to Caturdaśapūrvīs)."
1 Nandi Sutra, (S. 57).
? BhS, 15, 1, 539, 9 Dhavālā Vol. VIII, p. 52. (Satkhandagāma, Dr. H. L. Jain) 4 Bh8, 8, 2, 618.
5 10, 11, 11, 431. 6 Introduction to Satkhandāgama-2., Dr. H.L. Jain 12, p. 54. 7 16, 13., p. 54.