A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c10.2

c10.2

It seems that in an ordinary course, the need for explanation must have been felt from the time human beings began to communicate their thoughts to one another, and this must have led in its turn to the evolving of the exegetical literature of all the nations, that of the Indians being no exception to this rule. This is not the place where I can enter into a discussion about its origin. Even the fundamental and distinguishing characteristics of the exegetical literatures of all the Indian schools of thought cannot be fully treated. Further it is not here possible to deal with the exegetical literature pertaining to the non-canonical works of even the *Jainas*. So keeping these limitations in view, I shall now proceed with the subject here specified.