Dr. Natubhai Shah
Jain Canonical Literature
The Jain canonical literature is believed by Jains to have originated in the time of the first tirthankara, Risabhdeva. Originally there were two kinds of texts:
- 14 purvaas, a synopsis of which is reckoned to make up a 12th anga. The 14 purvas were extant until the time of Sthulabhadra (c.412-312 BCE).
- 12 angas, the work of Gautama and Sudharma, the chief disciples of Mahavira, from the discourses delivered by Mahavira.
All the 14 purvaas and the 12th anga are lost. The extant literature is from the period after the redaction of the sacred texts at the Valabhi Council (460 CE) in the case of the Svetambars, and the extant Digambara literature dates from the composition of the sacred texts by Gunabhadra (c.1st century CE). The purvaas are listed in other Jain texts. The Angas are known as the primary canon and the upaangas, chedasutras, mulasutras, prakirnakas and culikaasutras are known as the secondary canon. We list below both the Svetambara and Digambara sacred literature:
Svetambara Literature
Primary Canon (angas):
- Aacaarnga sutra (Aayaarannga sutta)
- Sutrakritaanga sutra (Suyagadanga)
- Sthaananga (Thaananga)
- Samvaayaanga sutra (Samyaanga)
- Bhagavati Vyaakhyaaprajnaapti sutra (Bhagavai Viyaahapannatti)
- Jnaatadharmakathaa (Naayaadhammakahao)
- Upaasakadasaa (Uvaasagadasao)
- Antakriddasaa (Antagadadasao)
- Annutaraupapaatikadasaa (Annutarovavaatyadasao)
- Prasnavyaakarana (Panhaavaagaranaim)
- Vipaaka sutra (Vivaagasuyam)
- Drastivaada (Ditthivaaya)
A Secondary Canon (upaangas):
- Aupapaatika sutra (Uvavaiya)
- Raajaprasniya (Raayapasenaijja)
- Jivaajivaabhigama (Jivaajivaabhigama)
- Prajnaapanaa (Pannavannaa)
- Suryaprajnaapti (Suriyapannati)
- Jambudvipaprajnaapti (Jambudvipapannati)
- Candraprajnaapti (Candapannati)
- Niryaavali (Niryaavali)
- Kalpaavatamsikaa (Kappavadamsiao)
- Puspikaa (Pupphiao)
- Puspaculikaa (Pupphaculiao)
- Vrisnidasaa (Vanhidaso)
B. Chedasutras
- Acaaradasaa (Ayaaradasao)
- Brritakalpa (Bihakappa)
- Vyavahaara (Vanhidasao)
- Nisitha (Nisiha)
- Mahaanisitha (Mahaanisiha)
- Jitakalpa (Jiyakappa)
C. Mulasutras
- Dasavaikaalika (Dasaveyaaliya)
- Uttaraadhyayana (Uttarajjhayana)
- Aavasyaka (Aavassaya)
- Pindaniryukti (Pindanijjutti)
D. Prakirnasutras
- Catuhsarana (Causrana)
- Aaturapratyaakhyaana (Aturapaccakkhaana)
- Bhaktaprijana (Bhattaparinnaa)
- Samstaaraka (Santhaaraa)
- Tandulavaicaarika (Tandulaveyaaliya)
- Candravedhyaka (Candaavijjhaya)
- Devendrastava (Devindatthaya)
- Ganividhyaa (Ganivijja)
- Mahaapratyaakhyaana (Mahaapaccakkhaana)
- Virastava (Viratthaya)
E. Culikaasutras
- Nandi sutra (Nandisutta)
- Anuyogadvaara sutra
Digambara Sacred Texts
- karmaprabhrita Satkhandagama
- kasayaprabhrita Kasaayapaahuda
Commentaries on these two texts are: the Dhavala, Jayadhavala and Mahaadhavala.
