Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
According to Jinabhadra Gani, ascending the ladder of penances, yoga and knowledge, tīrthankaras communicate their realized knowledge to enlighten other beings. Those seeds of knowledge are received by highly intellectual gaṇadharas (chief disciples) who compiled them brilliantly with such ease that the listeners can apprehend such words of truth without any strain.[1] Tīrthankaras speak in short maxims considering the intellectual capacity of their gaṇadharas. They do not speak in the language of the masses.[2] They pronounce the three maternal padas (words) i.e. origination, cessation and persistence. They do not preach the whole dvādaśāṅgī (twelve principal canonical works).[3]
It is Gaṇadharas, who derive the dvādaśāṅgī out of those Matrkapada - three maternal statements. Hence the meaning (artha) is given by the tīrthaṅkaras and the compilation of those meanings in aphorisms (sūtra) is done by ganadharas.[4] The basic meanings are given by the tīrthaṅkaras, so they are the primary source of the āgamas. The fount of knowledge that came down to us from them is through the gaṇadharas and Acharyas.[5]
Jain tradition holds that the tīrthaṅkaras of all times preach dvādaśāṅgī. From this view point of continuity, dvādaśāgṅī is eternal. There was no such time in the past when there was no existence of dvādaśāṅgī.[6] This is the firm belief of Jain tradition. According to Jain philosophy, śabda i.e. word is non-eternal. dvādaśāṅgī is compiled in words hence how can it be eternal? When we say dvādaśāṅgī is eternal, it means that the truth propounded in dvādaśāṅgī is eternal. Its linguistic form is not eternal. For example, Pañcāstikāya is eternal, Soul is eternal but the different words used for the soul, like ātmā, caitanya, cetanā etc. are not eternal.[7]
At present, preaching of Lord Mahavira is being followed. There were eleven gaṇadharas under his spiritual leadership, who were highly scholastic. Indrabhuti Gautam, the first gaṇadhara received the whole knowledge of all fourteen pūrvas within three niṣadyās (enquiry with modesty).[8] Other gaṇadharas received in an indefinite number of niṣadyās.[9] Āvaśyaka Cūrṇi states that it was accomplished in fifteen niṣadyās. They received eleven aṅgas in one niṣadyā and in remaining fourteen niṣadyās, they received the knowledge of fourteen pūrvas.[10] Point to be noticed here is that they did not mention the particular name of any gaṇadhara. Gautam gaṇadhara received the knowledge of all fourteen pūrvas within three niṣadyās[11] but 'whether he asked any questions about the eleven aṅgas or not or whether he compiled the eleven aṅgas on the basis of three niṣadyās or not' is not clearly mentioned.
gaṇadharalakṣanapuruṣāpeksayā sa tirthaṅkara 'uppajjei vā vigamei vā dhuvei vā' iti
mātṛkāpadatrayamātrarūpaṃ stokameva bhāṣate, na tu dvādaśāṅgāni.
icceiyaṃ duvālasaṅgaṃ gaṇipidagaṃ na kayāi nāsi, na kayāi na bhavai, na kayāi na bhavissai bhuvim ca, bhavai ya bhavissaī ca
Āvaśyaka Niryukti of Haribhadra Suri, Bombay, V.S. 2038, v. 735, p. 85.
'tatra gautamasvāminā niṣadyātrayeṇa caturdaśa-pūrvāṇi gṛhītāni. praṇipatya pṛcchā niṣadyocyate bhagavanścācaṣṭe - uppaṇṇei vā vigamei vā dhuvei vā. etā eva tisro niṣadyāḥ, āsāmeva sakāśād ganabhṛtāṃ utpādavyayadrauvyayuktaṃ sat, iti pratītirupajāyate anyathā satāyogāt. tataśca te pūrvabhavabhāvitamatayo dvādaśaṅgamuparacayanti'
Ibid, p.337.
jadā ya gaṇaharā savve pavvajitā tāhe kira eganisejjāe egārasa-aṅgāṇi coddasahiṃ coddasapuvvāṇi evaṃ tā bhagavatā attho kahito, tāhe bhagavanto egapāse suttaṃ kareti, taṃ akharehiṃ padehiṃ vañjaṇehiṃ samaṃ
