Dr. Samani Mangal Pragya
The third text of aṅga literature in Jain tradition is Sthānāṅga. It is a significant text for describing concepts of Jain religion and philosophy. In this text metaphysical concepts are presented on the basis of numerical classification. The entire description found in this text is exclusively enumerated in one to ten numbers. It has ten chapters referred to as sthāna. Hence, niryukti commentator gave the chapters, name ''adhyayana'' instead of sthāna.[1] In the first section, the one numbered facts and subjects are included and similarly in the tenth chapter, facts having ten dimensions or types are described. This is akin to Aṅguttaranikāya text of Buddhists, which is based completely on numbers.
Generally aṅga literature presents the process of spiritual progress in terms of prescription and prohibition but Sthānāṅga stands out from that style of compilation. Study of Sthānāṅga and Samavāyāṅga reveals that they have been compiled as encyclopaedic texts. Their names and contents are very different from those of other aṅga literature.
Objectives of Composing Sthānāṅga
In Sthānāṅga, a single fact or subject has been presented with multiple options based on different numbers. For example,
- Soul is one from the viewpoint of individual existence (pratyeka śarīra).[2]
- It is two from the view point of bound (mundane) and liberated states.[3]
Likewise in different chapters, a single entity such as jīva (soul) has been explained differently from various viewpoints on the basis of quantification.
Thus, this text propagates the reality from numerical perspectives. As per Pt. Becardasji Doshi, through the style of writing of this text, it can be inferred that after the composition of all the aṅgas, to make the subject more lucid, understandable and to simplify the search of any particular subject easy, Sthānāṅga was composed in this particular style. To elevate its importance it has been included in the aṅga literature.[4]
Sthānāṅga: Structure and Contents
Sthānāṅga is a voluminous text having ten Sthāna i.e. chapters. Among them the tenth, second, third, fourth and fifth are further divided into sub sections. The other chapters do not have any sub sections. Second, third and fourth chapters have four sub sections and the fifth chapter contains three sub sections.
Sthānāṅga has one Śrutaskandha having twenty one sub-sections and twenty one sub topics. It has seventy two thousand words (padas).[5], 165448 letters and in verse form it comes to about 5170 Anuṣṭupa ślokas.[6]
Acharya Sri Mahapragya opines that the contents of this text are compiled on the basis of numbers, hence it has multiplicity in subjects. No inter-relation between the subjects can be observed. Metaphysics, history, mathematics, geography, astronomy, conduct, knowledge, psychology, music and several other subjects are also found in this text without any sequence or correlation. We do find some important historical facts in the text. In the presence of Lord Mahavira, many śramaṇa groups were surviving. Amongst them the group of Ajīvakas was very predominant and powerful. Today this tradition is no longer in existence and the literature related to them has also been lost. The Jain literature does have some information about that tradition. Sthānāṅga mentions about the process of penance prevalent amongst the Ajīvakas in those times. In one of the sub section, an elaborate discussion about epistemology is also found. This text discusses about pudgala (matter) in detail. The contents of this text include facts contemporary to and post-Mahavira period.[7]
In the presence of Lord Mahavira and even in the post Mahavira period, some people expressed their opinions or theories that were contradictory to that of Lord Mahavira. They were called by the name 'Nihnava' (the apostasy which disowns (or denies) any one doctrine propounded by the āgama (canonical work) and propounds its own). In the present text, a brief account of seven Nihnava like Jamali etc. is found.[8] Lord Mahavira's nine gaṇas (group) of disciples like Godāsagaṇa etc. are also illustrated.[9] These are the gaṇas of the post Mahavira period.
Author and Period of Composition
Like other aṅgas, Sthānāṅga is also compiled by Gaṇadharas and transcribed into written texts by Devardhigaṇi. When the contents of the text available at present are reflected upon, it is found that it contains the events and happenings that occurred 400-500 years after Lord Mahavira. Hence, it can be assumed that this text was composed around fourth century A.D.
Sthānāṅga has the description of seven Nihnavas such as - Jamāli, Tiṣyagupta, Āṣāḍha, Aśvamitra, Gaṅga, Rohagupta and Goṣṭhamāhila. Amongst these seven, except the first two, five nihnavas belong to the 3rd - 6th century after the salvation of Lord Mahavira. The nine gaṇa (monastic organisation) like Godasagaṇa etc. have also emerged around two hundred years later and some of them are of the time as far as 500 years after the Lord Mahavira's salvation. Hence it seems appropriate to believe that the last draft of this text was prepared by some proficient Acharya in the 6th century after Mahavira's salvation who inserted the events of his time coupled the previous ones. If this is not so, then we must at least admit that the events that occurred during the post Mahavira period were later included in this text by some proficient Acharyas.
Philosophical Contents
Present text contains several philosophical doctrines of Jainism. Jain Philosophy is a dualistic philosophy, this fact can be proved by an aphorism of Sthānāṅga where it is said.
'jīvacceva ajīvacceva'2/1
According to Jain philosophy, living beings (souls) and non-living beings have independent existence. Both are exclusively distinct from each other. Hence, dualism is acceptable in Jainism.
Jain metaphysics states that souls are infinite in number, but from a collective point of view it is one. Sthānāṅga states that -
'ege āyā' (1/2). Jain āgama states soul as both one and many. It relatively accepts both monism of Upaniṣads and pluralism of Sānkhya philosophy. From synthetic (collective) view, soul is one and from analytic perspective it is many.
Nandī explains Sthānāṅga as it includes the discussions about the Jain doctrines, of others and of both. [10] The aphorism 'ege āyā' of Sthānāṅga is also an ambivalent statement. This aphorism is described in Anuyogadvāra Cūrṇī from both Jain and Vedānta perspectives.[11] According to Jain perspective, all the souls share a common characteristic i.e. upayoga which means that the ultimate nature of all souls is identical, hence, from this view point all the souls are one and the same.
Sthānāṅga is considered to be an encyclopaedia of several subjects of Jain philosophy. It is a collection of Jain metaphysics, Jain ethics, Jain epistemology, Jain history and so on.
