A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c5.68

c5.68

assume that this *Aṇuoga* deals more or less with the biographies of the *Tīrthaṅkaras*, the *Kulakaras*¹ (patriarchs²), the *Gaṇadharas* and several other persons who attained liberation or were born in the *Anuttara vimānas* during the period that began with the life of Lord Ṛṣabha and ended with the birth of Jitaśatru, father of Lord Ajita. In short, *Aṇuoga* is *dharmakathānuyoga* which consists of *kathās* having mostly for their central figures, persons who attained liberation or who were about to attain liberation in the next birth or so. Relying on this view, one may try to explain as under, the difference in the orders of the 3rd and 4th sections of *Diṭṭhivāya*:—