Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
A number of doctrines have been mentioned in the Jain and Buddhist literature.[1] The Upaniṣads also have descriptions of various doctrines in different contexts. In Śvetāśvataropniṣad, a discussion on the doctrinc of time and nature, theory of destiny etc. is found.[2] There is a clear acceptance of doctrine of time in Maitrāyaṇi Upaniṣads.[3]
In the era of Lord Mahavira, multiple doctrines were prevalent in the society. 363 different philosophical concepts were propounded and refuted in the Dṛṣṭivāda, the 12 canonical text of Jain agama. As it is stated in the Dhavalā -
eṣāṃ dṛṣṭiśatānāṃ trayāṇāṃ triṣaṣṭyuttarānaṃ prarūpaṇaṃ nigrahaśca drṣṭivāde kriyate[4]
In Samavāyāṅga and Nandī, such explanation about Dṛṣṭivāda not available. However, the very name Dṛṣṭivāda itself proves that it has the explanation of all the philosophical concepts. Dṛṣṭivāda is included under Dravyānuyoga. The core discussion in Dṛṣṭivāda is about metaphysics. Hence, an explanation of the different doctrines is inevitable in it.[5]
During the time of Lord Mahavira, there existed 363 different philosophies. This fact comes to light through the description of Sūtrakṛtāṅga[6] available in Samvāyāṅga and Sūtrakṛtāṅga Niryukti,[7] but the names of those theories and their propounder ācāryas are not available therein. Early Jain literature had a description of these philosophical concepts, but, post canonical literature of Jainism has only a nominal introduction of these doctrines.[8] A direct approach to these doctrines is beyond our reach. Post-canonical commentators have made them comprehensive only through a mathematical process. However, this does not seem to be an original approach. It seems that when the originality of these 363 concepts with meanings was lost, then efforts were made to explore it, with a mathematical approach so as to make them comprehensive. But this mathematical approach did not serve its purpose and failed to describe the philosophical contents in those doctrines.
