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The present volume consists of nine agamas -uvañgas-Panṇavaņā, Jambuddivapanpattl, Candapanpatti, Surapannatti, Nirayavaliyão (five in
number).
PANNAVANA
The canon under review is Panṇavaṇā (Prajñāpanā). It treats extensively the two substances-sentient being (jiva) and insentient being (ajiva). The term used in the beginning is'prajñāpanā', hence the whole canon bears the name 'Prajñāpanā". One of its aims is to interpret the Reality through QuestionAnswer method, and the same thing has been done in this canonical text. That also justifies its nomenclature as Prajñāpanā. In the opening gäthas, this āgama has been named as 'Adhyayana' which shows that one of its names is 'Adhyayana' also. It relates to Drstivada, the twelfth anga, so it has been called as the essence or niḥsyanda of Drstivada.
Subject-Matter
It contains 36 topics (padas) which discuss the various aspects (paryayas) of soul (va) and non-soul (ajiva). It is like an ocean of the Science of Reality (tattva vidya) through which the deeper meaning of Indian Science of Reality can be appreciated. The first topic (pada) provides two classifications of vegetable-bodied beings-the individual-bodied (pratyekalariri) and commonbodied (sädhäraṇasariri). The common-bodied presents such a unique picture of Socialism which cannot even be imagined in human society. It deals in greater details with the aryas and the mlecchas.
Introduction
This canon is the source book of the Science of Truth (tattvajñāna). Whereas the Bhagavari is an anga-pravista canon, the Pannavand is an Upanga. Both these Agamas are inter-related on account of their common theme of the Science of Truth. Most of the Prajñāpand has been included in Bhagavat! by Devarddhigan, as is evident from the use of Jaha pannavande' time and again. Its every pada is like the embodiment of abstruse metaphysical problems. It contains various important sutras about lefyd and karma,
Nandisutra gives us the two classifications of Agamas-angapravista and
1. Pannavaṇā, gatha 2
2.
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3.
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