A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c5.90

c5.90

From this it follows that leaving aside the archaic meaning of the word 'scripture' viz. 'inscription', it signifies a sacred book of any community, Christian or non-Christian. So one may naturally take the phrase 'Jaina scriptures' to mean sacred books of the *Jainas*. This view is correct, but I may add that the phrase can be interpreted in another way, too. In order that this may be easily realized, I shall give here two definitions, of *sammasuya* (Sk. *samyak-śruta*), and two of *micchāsuya* (Sk. *mithyā-śruta*), as well. According to the 1st definition the *dvādaśāṅgī* and other scriptures based upon it-the works which are composed by the Jaina saints of a very high calibre are classed as *sammasuya* whereas the works composed by the non-*Jainas* who are wanting in right knowledge are classed as *micchāsuya*.¹ According to the 2nd definition, all the works included in these two classes are *sammasuya* so far as a *samyagdṛṣṭi* (one having a right sort of faith) is concerned, whereas they are *micchāsuya* so far as a *mithyādṛṣṭi* (one having wrong faith) is concerned.² Consequently, according to this second definition, any and every sacred work, *Jaina* or non-*Jaina* is a *Jaina* scripture to a *samyagdṛṣṭi*.³ But I here do not use the phrase ‘Jaina scriptures’ in this wide sense but in the previous sense—the restricted sense. That is to say, I interpret ‘Jaina scriptures’ as authoritative works⁴ composed by eminent *Jaina* saints such as the *Gaṇadharas*, *Śrutakevalins*, *Daśapūrvadharas*, *Pratyekabuddhas* and the like. To be explicit, I should now enumerate these works.