A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c6.75

c6.75

*Aṅga*—*Aṅga* is a word common to both the Prākṛta and Samskṛta languages. It is a term to be met with in the *Vaidika* literature wherein it signifies the six auxiliary sciences (*helpful* in the study of the *Vedas*) viz. (1) *Śikṣā* (phonetics), (2) *Chandas* (prosody), (3) *Veyyākaraṇa* (grammar), (4) *Nirukta* (philology), (5) *Kalpa* (ritualism) and (6) *Jyotis* (astronomy). In the *Bauddha* literature, too, we come across this word. For instance, in the *Majjhimanikāya* 22 (I, p. 133) and in several passages in the *Aṅguttaranikāya*, there is mention of a division of the Canon into 9 *Aṅgas* viz. (1) *Sutta* (prose sermons), (2) *Geyya* (sermons in a mixture of prose and verse), (3) *Veyyākaraṇa* (explanations, commentaries), (4) *Gāthā* (stanzas), (5) *Udāna* (pithy sayings), (6) *Itivuttaka* (short speeches beginning with the words 'Thus spake the Buddha'), (7) *Jātaka* (stories of the former births of Buddha), (8) *Abbhutadhamma* (reports of miracles) and (9) *Vedalla* (teachings in the form of questions and answers). This is what is suggested by the late Prof. Winternitz in his work entitled *A History of Indian Literature* (vol. II, p. 10). He there adds: