Jaina Convention
Federation of Jain Associations In North America
Jain Literature
 Prof. Sagarmal Jain 35, Oswal Seri, Shajapur (M.P.) Phone: 91-7364-22218, 227425, 227405 Fax: 91-7364-226038 Prof. Sagarmal Jain is M.A., Ph.D. in philosophy, and Secretary of Parshwanath Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, India. He has held several academic positions; and over 25 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded under his supervision. He has authored more than 25 books and 150 research articles; edited 160 books; and participated in numerous seminars in India and abroad. He is the General Editor of the Encyclopedia of Jaina Studies. |
Among the religions of the world Jainism is a very minor religion, because it does not cover even one percent of the total world-population; but its literacy contribution is not much less than other world's major religions. As per available information total volume of known Jain works is more than twenty thousand and number of total Jain manuscripts is more than one million.
The word 'Jain literature' does not mean only the Jain religious and philosophical literature. It also includes the secular literature written by Jain seers and scholars. Thus it covers a very vast area. It includes various branches of knowledge, such as metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, logic, cosmology, biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, geography, history, astronomy, and astrology, various arts, architecture, grammar, linguistics, medical sciences and so on. In Jain canonical literature these different subjects are inter-mingled, though there are some specific Jain works which deals only their own subjects.
Though the primary Jain literature was composed in Prakrit Language, but later on Jain scholars composed their works in Sanskrit, Apbhramsa, Kannada, Maru-gurjer, Hindi, GujYati, MaYathi and English also. Its composition had been begun from 5th century B.C. and remain continue till today.
We can divide total Jain literature into these five categories:
- Canonical literature along with its commentaries.
- Works on Jain metaphysics, karma philosophy, cosmology, epistemology and Logic.
- Works on Jain ethics, Jain code of conduct yoga and religious rituals.
- Works on religious preachings along with Jain narrative literature.
- Jain literature on secular subjects.
I
So far as Jain canonical literature is concerned it is composed in Prakrit between 5th century B.C. and 5th century A.D., on the basis of the preaching of the Tirthankaras. This canonical literature includes many books; we find a detail list of these works in Nandisutra (5th Century A.D.). In which 12 Angas, 6 vasyakas, 31 Klikasktras and 29 Utklikasktras, in all 78 works had been mentioned. According to Svetambara tradition among these 78 works, one Angagama i.e. Dristivada, 15 Klikasktras and 11 Klikasktras are not presently available, but the remaining 51 works are available. According to Digambara tradition except a very little part of Dristivada, all the canonical literature has been lost. It is believed that on the basis of some remaining part of the Dristivda, Digambar Acryas have composed some works, such as Ksayapahuda, Satkhandgama, Tiloyapannati, Samayasra, Niyamasra, Pravacanasra, Mulcr, Bhagvati-Ardhan etc.
According to Svetambara tradition at present 11 Anggamas, 1 2 Upngas, 6 Chedasktras, 4 Mulasktras, 10 Prakirnakas and 2 Chuliksktras are available. This canonical literature restored through five councils. The first council has met at Ptaliputra after the 150 years of Mahvira's Parinirvna, under the leadership of Sthulibhadra. The second council has taken place at mountain Kumari in 2nd Century B.C. in Orissa, which was organized by the king Kharavela. The third and fourth councils took place at Mathura and Vallabhi simultaneously in 3rd century A.D. under the leadership of Skandila and Ngrguna respectively, till the third and fourth councils canon had been retain orally, It is in the fifth council at Vallabhi in Gujarat in the year C 453 or 466, under the leadership of Devardhigani, after the final editing, canon had been given written form.
The composition of commentary literature on the canonical works had been begun from 3rd century A.D. First of all, on the canon, Niryuktis were written, in Prakrit Poetry they deals with the technical terms of the canon along with some information regarding the subject matter of that particular work.
After Niryuktis, Bhsyas and Curnis had been written respectively. They discuss the subject matter of canonical works in detail with some concrete examples. Where as the Bhsyas had been written in Prakrit Poetry, the Curnis were written in Prakrit prose mixed with Sanskrit. The Bhsyas and Curnis, were written in 5th and 7th century respectively. After Curnis, Tikas, Vrattis and Vivaranas had been written in Sanskrit language. These Sanskrit commentaries were writers by Haribhadra (8th Century), Silnka (9th Century), Abhayadeva (11th Century), Malayagiri (12th Century), Sntisuri and some other Svetambar Acryas. In Digambara tradition Virasena and Jinasena (9th and 10th Century) had written the commentaries on Kasyapahuda and Satkhandgama namely Dhavala, Jayadhavala and Mahdhavala.
II
Among the Jain philosophical works Tattvrthasktra written in Sanskrit with its autocommnetary by Umaswati (3rd-4th Century A.D.) is the pioneer one. On this various commentaries had been written in both the sects. In Swetambara tradition Siddhasena Gani (7th Century) and Haribhadra (8th Century) and in Digambara tradition Pujyapada (6th Century), Akalanka (8th Century) and Vidhyanandi (9th Century) wrote the commentaries on it. After the Tattvrthasktra, among Jain philosophical literature Siddhasena's Sanmatitarka and Niyyvatra, Samantabhadra's ptamimms Mallavadi's Dvdasranayacakra, Haribhadra's Anekntajayapataka, Satdarshanasammucaya and Sastravrtsammuchya, Akalanka's Niyayaviniscaya, Vidyanandi's Astasahasri, Prabha candra's Prameyamamalmartanda, Vadidevasuri's Pramnanayatattvloka and Syadvdaratnkara, Mallisena's Syadvdamanjari had been written, which are the important works of this category
So far as the literature on Karma-philosophy is concerned after the Kasyaphuda and Satkhandgama the main works are Kammapayadi, six old Karmagranthas, four pancasamgrahas, Gommatasra and five later Karmagranthas of Devendrasuri. In the present age Acrya Devendramuni has also composed 9 volumes on karma theory in Hindi and Virasekharvijaya and Jagatacandra Vijaya in four volumes in Prakrit and Sanskrit.
III
The literature related to Jain religious practices, ethics, yoga and code of conduct is very vast. Most of the Jain literature comes in this category. It can be further divided into five subcategories:
- Hymns composed in the praise of Tirthankaras cover the greatest part of Jain literature. Among this category Siddhasena's Dvatrimsikas, Samantabhadra's Svayambhustotra, Kundakunda's Dasabhakti, Manatunga's Bhaktambarastotra, Siddhasena's Kalyanamandirastotra etc. are prominent.
- The works related to the modes of worship, religious rituals and ceremonies are also, much more in number than other categories. Umaswati's Pujaprakarana was the first work of this sub category, which is not available at present. It is being noted the works of this category are mingled with the works related to Jain ethics and code of conduct. Haribhadras works such as Astaka, Sodasaka, Vinsik, Pancavastu, Catyavandanabhasya are belongs to this category. The work of the Jain literature related to rituals is near about one thousand and five hundred. It is very difficult to mention even their names in this short article.
- Third sub-category of religious literature includes the works such as Kundkunda's Niyamsara and Astapahuda, Pujyapada's Istopadesa and Haribhadra's Upadesapada, Dharmabindu, Upadesaprakarana Sambodha prakarana etc.
- The fourth sub-category is related to Jain Sadhana and Yoga Umaswati's Prasamarati, Jinabhadra's Dynasataka Haribhadra's Yogavinsika, Yogasataka, Yogabindu & Yogadristisammucaya, Pujyapada's Samadhi tantra, Sivarya's Bhagavati-radhana and various other works related to Aradhana and Samadhimarana comes under this category.
- The fifth sub-category comprises the work related to the ethics and code of conduct for the monks, nuns and house-holders though various canonical works and Tatvarthasktra and its various commentaries also deals with this subject matter, but some independent works are also written in this field. In Svetambara tradition Haribhadra's Svayapanthi Hemchandra's Yogasastra, various Smacris and Yatidinakratya were written under this sub category, while as in Digambara tradition Asadhara's Angradharmarta and Sgradharmamrita along with various Srvakathair had been written.
IV
Jain narrative literature eras of this period is generally divided into five sub categories, viz.
- biographies of the 63 illustrious personalities (Salkpurusas) described together in one book,
- life-stories of these religious great personalities described independently in a work,
- religious tales in romantic form, (iv) semi-historical Prabandhas and (v) compilation of stories in the form of Kathkosas.
Some prominent works of the narrative literature such as caupannamahpurisa cariyam of Silnka, Trisastisalkpurusa caritra of Hemchandra, some semi historical Prabandhas Prabhvakacarita, Prabandha-cintamani, Akhyanakamanikosa, Prabandhakosa, etc. had been composed between c. 12th-14th A.D.
V
In the beginning of c. 3rd A.D. several independent works were composed of various secular subjects such as -Astronomy, Astrology, Geography, Mathematics, Biology, Arts and Architecture, Linguistic and Medical science, i.e., Ayurveda, etc. It would be in the fitness of the things to record some of the details about such works, viz. Lokavibhaga of Sarvanandi (c. 6th A.D.) and Tiloyapannatti of Yati-vrsabha composed in Prakrta, are two important works on Astronomy and Geography respectively. Some more works like Umasvati's Jambudvipasamasa and Ksetravicra (c. 3rd A.D.) and Brhatksetrasamasa of Jinabhadragani Ksamasramana (c. 7th A.D.) also dealt with Geography and some aspects of Jaina cosmology. Among these works, Ksetravicra is not available today. Jivasamasa and Jivavicara as well as Tandulavaicarika are the works, dealing with Jaina Biology, Pujyapada-Devanandi (c. 6th A.D.) had composed a treatise named Vaidyakasastra dealing with Ayurvedic medicines, but this work is also not available. Jyotisakarandaka is a prakirnaka, which also deals with Jaina Astrology. In the field of Grammar, Jainendra Vykarana or Endravykarana of Indranandi (c.6th A.D.), Sakayayana Vyakarana of Sakatyana (c.9th A.D.) and Svayambhuvyakarana of Tribhuvana Svayambhu (c. 8th A.D.) are regarded as important works on grammar. Thakkarpheru's works Ratnapariksa and Dhtu pariksa as well as Vstusra are also belongs to this category. It shows that Jain scholars have also written various works on secular subjects.