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A study of the philosophy of Jainism

by Deepa Baruah | 2017 | 46,858 words

This page describes the Religious and philosophical literature of the Jainas from the study of the philosophy of Jainism: one of the oldest religions in India having its own metaphysics, philosophy and ethics. Jainism is regarded as an ethical system where non-violence features as an important ethical value.

Chapter I.e - Religious and philosophical literature of the Jainas

The Jaina literature is found in two different languages, mostly in Prākrit and some in Sanskrit. Most of the early literature is not available now. There is a difference between the Ś峾 and Digambaras regarding their canonical literature. The Ś峾 hold that there were originally two kind of sacred books, viz., the fourteen ū and the twelve ṅg. Besides the twelve ṅg, there are twelve Upāṅgas, ten ʰīṇa, six Chedaūٰs, two Cūlikāūٰs, and four Mūlaūٰs.

The fourteen ū are: (i) ٱ岹, (ii) ⲹṇ�, (iii) ī岹,(iv) پپ岹, (v) ñԲ岹, (vi) Ṣaṭa岹, (vii) Āٳ岹, (viii) , (ix)ʰٲԲ, (x) վԳܱ岹, (xi) ṇa岹, (xii) ʰṇa岹, (xiii) ṛi屹岹 and (xiv) հǰ첹Իܲ.

The twelve ṅgare: (i) Ā, (ii) ūٰṛt, (iii) ٳԲ, (iv) , (v) 󲹲ī, (vi) ñ󲹰첹ٳ, (vii) 첹岹ś, (viii) Գٲṛd岹ś, (ix) Anuttaraupapātikadśā, (x) ʰśԲ첹ṇa, (xi) վ첹śܳٲ and (xii) ṛṣṭi岹.

The twelve Upāṅgas are (i) ܱ貹پ첹, (ii) Ჹśīⲹ, (iii) ī󾱲, (iv) ʰñ貹, (v) ū屹ī貹ñپ (vi) 䲹Իñپ, (vii) ūⲹñپ, (viii) 辱, (ix) 첹屹ٲṃs, (x) ʳṣp, (xi) ʳṣpū and (xii) ṛṣṇi岹ś.

The ten ʰīṇa are: (i) 䲹ٳḥśaṇa, (ii) ṃs첹, (iii) ĀٳܰٲԲ, (iv) 󲹰ٲ貹ñ, (v) ղԻܱ첹, (vi) Candravedhyaka, (vii) Devendrastava, (viii) Ҳṇi, (ix) ѲٲԲ and (x) īٲ.

The six Chedasutras are: (i) śīٳ, (ii) ѲԾśīٳ, (iii) ղⲹ (iv) ٲśśܳٲ첹Ի, (v) ṛhٰ첹貹 and (vi) ʲñ첹貹.

The two Cūlikāūٰs are: (i) Nandi and (ii) ԳܲDz屹.

The four Mūlaūٰs are: (i) ٳٲԲ, (ii) Āśⲹ첹, (iii) ٲś첹 and (iv) ʾṇḍԾܰپ.

It is not easy to give an account of the canonical works of the Digambaras. The canonical literature of the Digambaras is divided into two groups, viz., ṅgṣṭ and ṅgⲹ. The ṅgṣṭ is of twelve kinds which are similar to the twelve ṅg of the Ś峾. They also recognize the fourteen ū. The ṅgⲹ texts are those which do not belong to the ṅg.

The ṅgⲹ is of fourteen kinds. Such texts are: (i) 峾⾱첹, (ii) ղԻ岹, (iii) Samstava, (iv)ʰپṇa, (v) Vinaya, (vi) ṛt첹, (vii) ٲś첹, (viii) ٳٲⲹԲ, (ix) 첹貹ⲹ, (x) 첹貹, (xi) Ѳ첹貹-ñ첹, (xii) ʳṇḍī첹, (xiii) Ѳṇḍī첹 and(xiv) ṣi󾱰첹.

As the works belonging to the canons are of different origin and age, they differ greatly in character. Some are chiefly in prose, some in verse, and some in both prose and verse. A large number of commentaries have grown up round the sacred texts. And besides these, the Jainas also possess a secular literature of their own in poetry and prose, both in Sanskrit and Prākrit. The oldest Prākrit poem, the Paumacariya, is a Jaina version of the 峾ⲹṇa. There are also many Jaina moral tales and dramas. The Jaina authors have also contributed many works, original treatises as well as commentaries, to the scientific literature of India in its various branches, viz., grammar, biography, poetics, philosophy etc. It may here be mentioned that the Jainism also possesses a many works on Jaina logic. There are many writers who wrote their works on Jaina logic. The name of Kundakunda comes first in this respect, who was a great 峦ⲹ and a prolific writer. He lived in the 1 century AD. Kundakunda wrote mostly in Prākrit.The Pravacanasāra, Pañcāstikāyasāra, and etc. are his valuable works.

The most celebrated 峦ⲹ among the Digambarasafter Kundakunda was Umāsvāmī. Umāsvāmī was also a prolific writer and is said to have written about 500 books. Very few of these are available today. His greatest work is the ղٳٱٳ󾱲ūٰ which is a manual for understanding the true nature of the things. It deals with Jaina logic, epistemology, ethics etc. There are many commentaries on ղٳٱٳ󾱲ūٰ.

Among them the following are worthy of special mention:

  1. ٳ󲹲 of Pujyapāda, belonging to in 5 century A.D.
  2. ղٳٱٳ󲹰Ჹٳپ첹 of Akalaṅka (7 century A.D.)
  3. ղٳٱٳśǰ챹ٳپ첹 of Vidyānanda (9th century A.D.)

Siddhasena پ첹 is also one of the noted Jaina philosophers. His valuable works are: Sanmatitarka, ⲹ etc. The is the earliest Jaina work on pure logic. He has made a valuable contribution to Jaina philosophical literature.

Another author Samantabhadra was a Digambara and he wrote a commentary on Umāsvāmī’s ղٳٱٳ󾱲ūٰ. The main part of the commentary is no longer extant but the introductory part of the commentary exists.

It is known as Āٲīṃs. On this work, Akalaṅkadeva wrote a commentary entitled ṣṭśī. Vidyānanda also wrote a commentary on ṣṭśī entitled ṣṭś󲹲ī. ۳ܰٲⲹԳśԲ is another important work of Samantabhadra.

Akalaṅkadeva, the great Jaina writer developed the subject of Jaina logic elaborately in his works like ղٳٱٳ󲹰Ჹٳپ첹, ṣṭśī, Loghīyastraya, Pramāṇasaṅgraha etc.

ʲīṣāmܰ󲹲ūٰ is one of the famous works on Jaina logic. Māṇikyanandi is the author of this famous book. It is written in ūٰ (aphorism) style. One of the famous commentaries on ʲīṣāmܰ󲹲ūٰ is Prameyakamalamārtaṇḍa of ʰ峦Ի.

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