Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

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

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
[Ch. II
Uddeśaka means division of chapter.
"Adhyayanārthadeśābhidhāyino adhyayanavibhāgāḥ, uddiśyante upadbānavidhinā sişyasyācāryeņa yathā etāvantamadhyayanabhāgamadhiśvetyevamuddesasta evoddeśakāḥ."
The word "Sūtra' (Sutta) means the abbreviated form of the original Sülta of the Vedas, but here in the fifth Anga it has lost the old significance, because it contains the subject matter in an explanatory detailed form. Extent of the work :
According to Sri Abhayadeva Sūri the BhS's consists of 10,000 Uddeśakas, 36,000 questions and 2,88,000 Pramāņu-padas, while the Samavāyānga and Nandi Sītra* furnish the number of padas as 84,000 and 1,44,000 respectively.
At end of the MSS. of the BhS it is clearly mentioned that it contains 138 Satakas including the sub-Sutarras, 1925 Uddeśakas 1,84,000 Padas.
"Succãe Bhagavatīe aţthatīsam satam (138) satāņain, Uudesagānam culasīti.saya sa hassā padāņam, Pavaravaraņāņadamsīhim.........Paņņattā etthamamgamsi".
As regards the number of Padas and Uddeśukas the statement of this canonical work fully agrees with the actual state of the extent of the text with the exception of a slight variation in the number of Uddeśakas as there are found only 1923 Uddeśakas instead of 1925 in their specific mention in the Vidhi prapa. So the BhS, as it stands to-day in the published form after its arrangeinent, contains 41 Satakas, 1923, Uddeśakas and 868 Sūtras.
The great difference in regard to the extent of the Bhs, i. e. 1,84,000 Padas in contrast with the number of padas given by the Samavāyānga Sūtra and the Nandi Sūtra may be explained by the fact that this canonical work did not attain
1 Bhs, (Comm.), p. 5.
? Ib, (Comm),1, 1, 2. 8 Samavāyanga, 140.
4 Nandi Sutra, 49. 5 Bh8, End of MSS. 6 Vidhiprapā (v); Vide Indian Antiqnary vol. XIX.