Philosophy In Jain Agams: Classification of Āgamas in Anuyoga

Āgamas can be outlined from both Apṛthaktvānuyoga and pṛthaktvānuyoga. Apṛthaktvānuyoga system of describing āgamas was prevalent before Aryarakshita in which each single verse of the text was described by all   the four anuyogas   i.e. Caraṇakaraṇānuyoga, Dharmakathānuyoga, Gaṇitānuyoga and Dravyānuyoga. It was very complex and mind-boggling process of study. When Arya Rakshit realized that his most genius disciple Durbalikā Puṣyamitra was also becoming tired and impatient with such an arduous method of study, he introduced the method of Pṛthaktvānuya, in which, one aphorism or verse was described from only one anuyoga only.^[1] After that he classified all the āgama texts under the categories of the above mentioned four anuyogas. For e.g. Eleven aṅgas, Kālika śrutas, Mahākalpasūtra and Cheda Sūtras were included in Caraṇakaraṇanuyoga, Ṛṣibhāṣita in Dharmakathānuyoga, Sūryaprajñapti in Gaṇitānuyoga and Dṛṣṭivāda in Dravyānuyoga.^[2] Arya Rakshita had given a new dimension to the method of studying āgama texts. This made the study easy but resulted in the gradual wane of the āgamic knowledge.