OM-ARHAM

CHRESTOMATHY for English speaking spiritual aspirants

The literature of the Dīgambaras is divided into four Vedas, viz.: —

1. The Prathamānuyoga, which comprises all works on their Itihāsa, their legends and history; to this division belong the twenty-four Purāṇas, which give the lives of the twenty-four Tīrthaṅkaras, the Uttarapurāṇa, Harivaṁsapurāna, etc.

2. The Karanānuyoga, which includes the works describing the origin and the order of the universe, e.g. Trilokasāra, Tulokahhūshana, Jotishasāra, Bijaganita, Chandrarprajnapti, Sūryaprajñapti, etc.

3. The Drasyānuyoga, which treats of their doctrine or philosophy. Some of the chief works belonging to it are the Jomattasāra, Prāvachanasara,[1] Ashṭasahasri, Prameyakamala-Mārtaṇḍa, Rājavarttika, etc.

4. The Charanānuyoga, which treats of the Achāra, customs, worship, &c. To this subdivision belong the Trivarnāchāra, Mulāchāra, Jogamula, Ashṭapāhuda,[2] Padmānanda-pachchisi, &c.

These divisions are likewise known to the Śvetāmbara Jainas, though they usually prefer to classify their sacred literature as Aṅgas, Upāṅgas, Pāiṇṇās, Chheda, and Mūlasūtras. I was particularly anxious to find out whether the Dīgambaras agreed with the Śvetāmbaras about any of their inspired works. I soon found that the former hold the twelve Aṅgas, the Dvādosāngī, in as high esteem as the latter. A list of the Aṅgas which they gave me agreed very nearly with that of the Śvetāmbaras. But they asserted that their Aṅgas, though bearing the same names as the Śvetāmbara books, differed in substance. In order to test this assertion, I handed to the paṇḍits a copy of the Śvetāmbara Bhāgavatī, and

they at once conceded that it was the same text which they used every day.