A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c8.46

c8.46

ndha, Mahāpariṇṇa, its seventh ajjhayaṇa¹ is lost at least by the time of Śīlāṅka Sūri; for, he has mentioned this loss as a reason as to why he is not commenting upon it.² It is rather strange that at least some of the verses, if not all, which form a part of the Āyāranijjutti and which are said to pertain to this Mahāpariṇṇa, are preserved and are seen printed in the editions of Āyāra containing its Nijjutti and Śīlāṅka Sūri's com. It is difficult to say for certain as to when this Mahāpariṇṇa, got lost. It seems to be extant at least in the time of Vajrasvāmin; for, he restored the extinct³ ākāśagāminī vidyā from this ajjhayaṇa.⁴ The second suyakkhandha of Āyāra now-a-days consists of the four Cūlās viz. (1) Piṇḍesaṇāi⁵, (2) Sattasattikkagā, (3) Bhāvaṇā and (4) Vimutti, and it had one more Cūlā viz. Nisīha, in the time of Bhadrabāhusvāmin.⁶ Out of them, the 2nd Cūlā has been evolved out of this Mahāpariṇṇa as stated in Āyāranijjutti (v. 290)⁷; but