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IMPORTANCE OF ANGAVIJJA-A PRAKRIT TEXT
OF ANTIQUITY
[ Dr. Jagdishchandra Jain
(Abbreviations : JSBI=Jain Sahitya kā Brhad Itihāsa, Brhat-Brhatsamhitā, Anga=Angavijjā, Ava Cū=Avasyaka Cūrni, Nisi Bhā= Nisītha Bhāsya, Näyã=Näyādhammakahão, Jivā=Jivājīvābhigama, PNL=Prākrit Narrative Literature--Its Origin and Growth, by Jagdishchandra Jain)
The text of Arigavijjā was first published in Prakrit Text Society in 1957 edited by Muni Punyavijaya with the Introduction by Dr. Moti Chand and Dr. V. S. Agrawala. Since then nearly 35 years have passed but no scholar' seems to have taken this important publication seriously.
Angavidyā deals with the Science of Divination, not through the movements of stars or constellations or reading the horoscope, but through physical signs and symbols (anga). The fact that arigavidyä has been referred to by Kautilya in his Arthaśāstra (I. 11.17), in the Manusirti and the Pali Buddhist texts, indicates its popularity in ancient India. Kautilya has described angavidyā as the science of interpreting the touch of the body by means of which are ascertained the events such as a small gain, burning by fire, danger from thieves, killing by a traitorous person, a gift of gratification, news about happenings in a foreign land, saying this will happen today or tomorrow' or 'the king will do this,'
It should be noted, though Argavijjā is a Jain work, it does not deal with tenets of Jainism. It is a non-religious popular work serviceable to all. In the Jain tradition, anga is considered most prominent among all other eight Mahānimittas, as prominent as the sun among all appearances or kevalajñāna (Perfect Knowledge) among all kinds of knowledge. It has been stated that the text of Argavijjā which is based on the works of earlier ācāryas, was taught in a gurukula to those who led the life of celibacy and honoured gods, guests and monks.
As we shall see presently, arigavidyā forms a part of a chapter of Varāhamibira's Brhatsarhitā and the verses of this chapter are almost identical with the verses printed under the First Appendix (prathamani parisiştam) of the published Angavijjā text (pp. 272-280). In order to
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