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A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c9.s2: Sūyagaḍa

A History of the Canonical Literature of the Jainas c9.s2

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Sūyagaḍa

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*Sūyagaḍa*—This is the 2nd *Aṅga* having 3 titles as noted on p. 53. It is divided into 2 *suyakkhandhas*.³ Out of them the 1st has 16 *ajjhayaṇas*, whereas the 2nd 7. Thus, in all there are 23 *ajjhayaṇas*.⁴ But, only the 1st 5 *ajjhayaṇas* and those, too, of the 1st *suyakkhandha* only, have *uddesas*, their respective numbers being 4, 3, 4, 2 and 2; the rest have no *uddesas* whatsoever. The 1st *suyakkhandha* has all its *ajjhayaṇas* except the 16th (last) entirely in verse⁵. But, so far as the 2nd *suyakkhandha* is concerned, it has its 1st 2 *ajjhayaṇas*, the 4th and the 7th wholly in prose whereas the 3rd in prose with 4 verses almost at the end, and the 5th and the 6th entirely in verse.

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⁵ They are in different metres such as *Anuṣṭup*, *Vaitālīya* etc. Prof. Jacobi in *Z. D. M. G.* (vol. XXXVIII, 593 and vol. XLV, 101) has noted that *Vaitālīya* stanzas and *Yamakas* occur.

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1 “પધબંધની કસોટી સૂચવે છે કે એ સંગ્રહના ત્રિષ્ટુભાનુષ્ટુસી સંસ્કૃતિમાં રચાયેલાં સુત્ત-વાળા ભાગ આયાર અને સૂયગડથી કંઈક જૂના જણાય છે; અને કૌકાલિયક કુટુંબ સાથે સંબંધ ધરાવતા ભાગ ઉક્ત જૈન અંગાથી અર્ધી સદી મોડા રચાયેલા સંભવે છે. સંપૂર્ણ આર્યા એમાં ઉપલબ્ધ નથી તે કારણથી પ્રસ્તુત બૌદ્ધ સુત્ત શય્યંભવ મુનિના દસ્વેઆલિયની પૂર્વે ગોઠવાય છે.”—*Ibid.*, p. 174

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2 “સુત્તનિપાતમાં કેટલાક સુત્તો આયાર અને સૂયગડ અંગ પહેલાનાં, કેટલાક તે બેના પછીનાં અને કેટલાક સમકાલીન લાગે છે.—*Ibid.*, p. 174

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3 I do not know if any source which mentions the specific names of both of these sections. From Śīlaṅka’s com. (p. 8ᵃ) on *Sūyagaḍa* we see that the 1st section is named as *Gāhāsoḍasaka* (Pr. *Gāhāsoḍasa*), i. e. one of which *Gāhā* is the 16th *ajjhayaṇa*.

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4 Cf. the following verse of *Sūyagaḍanijjutti*:—

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“दो चेव सुयक्खन्धा अज्झयणाई च होन्ति तेवीसं। तेत्तिसुदेसणकाला आयाराओ दुगुणमं॥ २२॥”

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As regards the language of this 2nd Aṅga, it is said in *A His. of Ind. Lit.* (vol. II, p. 431):

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"The most archaic language is to be found in the Ayārāṃga-Sutta, and next to this, in the Sūyagaḍaṃga-Sutta and the Uttarajjhayaṇa. Ardha-māgadhī is quite different from Jaina-Māhārāṣṭrī, the dialect of the non-canonical Jaina texts."

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As regards the authorship of both the *suyakkhandhas* the Jaina tradition is unanimous in believing it to be a work of one and the same *Gaṇadhara*. It seems Prof. Winternitz differs; for, in *A His. of Ind. Lit.* (vol. II, p. 438) he says:—

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"This Aṅga, too, consists of two books, the second of which is probably only an appendix, added later, to the old Aṅga which we have in the 1st book."

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I, however, do not endorse this opinion especially when Prof. Schubring in his *Worte Mahavīras* (p. 17 f.) observes that *Sūyagaḍa* (II, I) "is closely related to Āyāra I (Bambhacerāiṃ) both in wording and mode of expression."¹ and when K. H. Dhruva attributes the authorship of both of these works to the same author.²

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We may now note the contents of *Sūyagaḍa*.³ To begin with, we may quote *Samavāya* (s. 23) where the names of all the 23 *ajjhayaṇas* are given, since these names, being significant, help us in this direction:—

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"तेवीसं सूयगडाज्झयणा पण्णत्ता, तं जहा समय १ वेतालिय४ २ उवसग्गपरिण्णा ३ थीपरिण्णा ४ नरयविभत्ती ५ महावीरथुई ६ कुसीलपरिभासए ७ वीरिए ८ धम्मे ९ समाही १० मग्गे ११ समोसरणे १२ आहत्तहिए १३ गंथे १४ जमईए५ १५ गाथा"

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1 See *A His. of Ind. Lit.* (vol. II, p. 441 n). 2 See p. 118, fn. 3. 3 "सत्रीकृता अज्ञानिकादयो यत्र वादिनस्तत् सूत्रकृतम्" —Siddhasena Gaṇi's com. (p. 91) on *Tattvārtha* 4 This name occurring in I, 2, 1, 22 is doubly interpreted in *Sūyagaḍanijjutti* (v. 28): (i) vaidārika or destroyer of *karmans* and (ii) *vaitālika*, the metre in which it is composed. 5 This title is explained in two ways: (i) indicating the opening words and (ii) suggesting the *śṛṅkhalābaddha-yamaka*. The latter fact has been noted in *Sūyagaḍanijjutti* as under, while its another title *Ayāṇijja* is being explained:—

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"जं पदमस्सऽन्तिम्ए विसयस्स उ तं हवेज्ज आदिम्मि ।
एणायाणिज्जं एसो अन्तो वि पज्जाओ ॥१२३॥"

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१६ पुंडरीए १७ किरियाठाणा १८ आहारपरिण्णा १९ [अप]पच्चक्खाणकिरिया २० अणगारसुयं २१ अद्दज्जं २२ नालंदज्जं २३”

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These titles are translated by the late Prof. Jacobi as under in *S. B. E.* (vol. XLV, contents):—

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“The doctrine, the destruction of *Karman*, the knowledge of troubles, knowledge of women, description of the hells, praise of Mahāvīra, description of the wicked, on exertion, the law, carefulness, the path, the creed, the real truth, the *Nirgrantha*, the *Yamakas*, the song, the lotus, on activity, knowledge of food, renunciation of activity, freedom from error, Ārdraka and Nâlandâ.”

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On p. 249 of this work he has written the following foot-note, in connection with the title of the 2nd *ajjhayaṇa*:—

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“The name of this lecture, which occurs in its last line, is vêyâliya, because, as the author of the Niryukti remarks, it treats on vidârika, destruction (of Karman), and because it is composed in the Vaitâlîya metre².”

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² “નિર્યુક્તિકારને અનુસરીને જર્મન વિદ્વાન જેકાબી સૂયગડ અંગના અંગ્રેજી અનુવાદ (S. B. E. Series Vol. XLV)માં પ્રાકૃત વૈતાલીય બોલ the destruction of Karman (=કર્મનું વિદારણ કે વિદલન) એવા અર્થમાં લે છે, અને એ પ્રાકૃત બોલને વેઆલીયનું રૂપાંતર માની વૈતાલીય છંદના પણ અર્થ ઉપજાવે છે. એમાં બહુ વાંધા આવે છે. પ્રથમ તો સં. વિ+દૃ અથવા વિ+દલ્ ધાતુ ઉપરથી વિયાલિય (સં. વિદારિત) અથવા તે વિઅલિય (સં. વિદલિત) શબ્દ અનુક્રમે પ્રાકૃતમાં નીપજે, પણ વેઆલિય ન નીપજે. એ રૂપ તો અંતઃપાતી એ નહિ, પણ ઉત્તર પ્રાકૃતમાં સંભવે, ઉત્તરકાલીન રૂપના પ્રયોગ સામે સમયવિરોધના વધ્યા ઉપરાંત બીજો એક વાંધો ઉભો થાય છે. એની વ્યુત્પત્તિ સં. વિ+દૃ અથવા તો વિ+દલ્ ઉપરથી સાધી ‘નાશ’ અર્થ કરી શકાય, પણ ‘કર્મનો નાશ’ એવા અર્થ શી રીતે શક્ય બને? પોતાની કલ્પના અબાધિત છે એમ માની લેઈ જર્મન વિદ્વાર્થ સૂયગડના પ્રથમ શ્રુતસ્કંધના પંદરમા અજ્ઝયણની જમધય સંજ્ઞાને પછડા આપે છે, પરંતુ આ સંજ્ઞા દ્વિઅર્થી છે નહિ. જમધય (સં. યમકિત) બોલના એક જ અર્થ શક્ય છે, યમકવાળું. એ શબ્દને અજ્ઝયણના આદ્ય પ્રતીક જમધય સાથે કંઈ પણ સંબંધ હોય, તો યમકનો પ્રયોગ સૂયવવાને છે. એમણે પસંદ કરેલા દૃષ્ટાંતમાં બે અર્થ છે જ નહિ. પંદરમા અજ્ઝયણનાં આયાશ્ચિય અને સંકલિય નામાંતર યમક કિંવા રુપ્પલાયમકનાં વાચક છે. બીજો કોઇ અર્થ એમાંથી બળાકારે જ-ખિંચ્યા તાણીને જ કઢાય. જમધય અને વેઆલીય શબ્દ અનુક્રમે અલંકારશાસ્ત્રના યમક અલંકારના અને છંદઃશાસ્ત્રના વૈતાલીય છંદના બોધક છે. પ્રસ્તુત બે અજ્ઝયણનાં નામ વિષય ઉપરથી નહિ, પણ છંદના અને શબ્દાલંકારના પ્રયોગ ઉપરથી જ રાખવામાં આવ્યાં છે.” —*Evolution of Gujarati verse*, p. 169n.

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1 In *Samavāya* (s. 16) the names of these 16 *ajjhayaṇas* are given with some slight variation here and there with the opening words viz. “सोलस य गाहा सोलसगा पण्णत्ता.” Can we hereby infer that the generic title of each of the 16 *ajjhayaṇas* is *Gāha*?

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For either word, vaidârika (or rather vaidâlika, cf. karmavidalana) and vaitâliya may, in Gaina Prâkrit, become vêyâliya or vetâliya. A play of words was apparently intended; it would have been impossible, if both words had not become identical in sound. We may, therefore, conclude that the language of the author obeyed the same phonetic laws as the Gaina Prâkrit exhibited in our Mss., or in other words, that the text has been written down in about the same language in which it was originally composed. The name of the Fifteenth Lecture leads to the same inference, for it is called gamaîya (ya-makîya) because each of its verses contains the verbal ornament called yamaka, and because it opens with the words gamaîyam (yad atitam).”

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As regards the title of the 15th lecture he has said as under on p. 329 by way of a foot-note:—

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“This lecture has been named from its opening words gamaîyam, which also means, consisting of yamakas (compare Journal of the German Oriental Society, vol. xl, p. 101). For in this lecture each verse or line opens with a word repeated from the end of the preceding one. This artifice is technically called srinkhala-yamaka, or chain-yamaka, a term which seems to be contained in another name of our lecture, mentioned by the author of the Niryukti (verse 28), viz. adâniya-saṅkaliyâ. For saṅkaliyâ is the Prâkrit for srinkhalâ (e. g. in our text, 1, 5, 2, 20), though Silâṅka here renders it wrongly saṅkalita; and adâniya by itself is used as a name of our lecture.”

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This 2nd Aṅga wherein we come across a number of similes¹ deals with the refutation of heretical doctrines. Its 1st two ajjhayanas explain the holy life and give us a graphic description of the difficulties a monk should surmount and especially the temptations he should face boldly. The 3rd ajjhayana vividly depicts the various works exacted from a male who has become a slave of his wife owing to his being unduly attached to her, and thereby furnishes us with materials throwing light on the Hindu Society of those days. Then we have an entire ajjhayana which treats of hells and the gruesome torments therein.² This is followed by the praise of Lord Mahāvīra whom the author depicts as the standard of righteousness. Then we have later on the well-known four heresies: *ajñānavāda*, *vinayavāda*, *akriyāvāda* and *kriyāvāda*.¹ This finishes a rough survey of the 1st *suyakkhandha*. Turning to the 2nd we find that it has practically the same themes as the 1st; for, it, too, deals with polemics, which give us at least a glimpse of the various religious sects² of the olden India. In the end we have disputations of Ārdra with Gośāla, a *Bauddha*, a *Vaidika* priest, a *Vedāntin* and a *Hastitāpasa*, and that of Udaka, a follower of Lord Pārśva with Gautama.

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¹ For example see I, 1, 2, 15 & 19; I, 2, 1, 15; I, 3, 1, 2 and I, 14, 2. For additional illustrations, the reader may refer to such verses as begin with एवम्. The number of these verses is, no doubt, enormous.

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² In this connection, in A His. of Ind. Lit. (vol. II, p. 440) it is said:— “Like the authors of so many texts of the Purâṇas and Buddhist Suttas, a section of this Jaina Aṅga, too dwells with truly Sadistic complacency on the fantastic description of the hells...”

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¹ For details see my intro. (pp. 58-62) to *Tattvārtha* (vol. II). For a discussion in German see F. O. Schrader's *Über den stand der Indischen Philosophie zur Zeit Mahāvīras und Buddhas* (Strassburg, 1902).

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² See *Schools and Sects in Jaina Literature* by Mr. Amulya Chandra Sen.

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Thus the contents of this 2nd *Aṅga* supply a young monk with materials whereby he can fortify himself against the heretical doctrines of alien teachers and preachers, can confirm himself in the right faith and can lead himself to the *summum bonum*.

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*Metres*—There seems to be no old source which discusses the metres of verses of *Āyāra* and *Sūyagaḍa*. As already observed on p. 118 this question has been however handled in modern days by the late Prof. Jacobi and by the late K. H. Dhruva. The latter observes in *Evolution of Gujarati verse* (p. 152) as under:—

c9.s2.34

“સુતકાલના સાંપ્રત વ્યાખ્યાનમાં આધાર તરીકે સ્વીકારેલાં આયાર અને સૂયગડ અંગમાં ચાર જ છંદના પ્રયોગ છે, અનુષ્ટુભના ત્રિષ્ટુભના વૈતાલીય (પ્રા. વેઆલીય)-ના અને ગાથાનુષ્ટુભી સંસૃષ્ટિના. સૌમાં અધિક પ્રચાર અનુષ્ટુભના છે.”

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On p. 154 he quotes a verse from *Sūyagaḍa* (I, 1, 4, 8) and names its metre as *Sautta anuṣṭubh*. Further, on this page he says that in *Sūyagaḍa*, *Ārcika triṣṭubh* is used 46 times, *Traiṣṭubhī upajāti* 92 times and *Indravajrā* 25 times. As an illustration of *Sautta triṣṭubh* he quotes on p. 156 *Sūyagaḍa* (1, 14, 17), and for that of *Vaitālīya*, 1, 2, 2, 20 on p. 157. Here he says that in *Sūyagaḍa* there is not a single verse in *Vṛddhavaitālīya* usually known as *Aupacchandasika* in prosody. On p. 158 is quoted I, 2, 1, 6 as an illustration of a verse of which the 1st foot is in *Vṛddhavaitālīya* and the rest in *Vaitālīya*. The metre of which there is no name to be found in prosody and which is designated by K. H. Duruva as *Gāthānuṣṭubhī saṃsṛṣṭi* in virtue of its being a combination of *Anuṣṭubh* and *Gāthā*, is used in both the *uddeśas* of *Thāpariṇṇā* and in the ending portions of some other *ajjhayaṇas* as well. On p. 159, 3 verses are quoted from *Sūyagaḍa*. They are: I, 4, 1, 4; I, 1, 3, 16; and I, 1, 8, 26. Out of these the 1st has its 1st and 3rd feet in *Anuṣṭubh*, the 2nd in *Vṛddhatara gāthika khaṇḍa* (18 *mātrās*) and the 4th in *Vṛddha khaṇḍa* (15 *mātrās*). As regards the remaining two verses, each has its 1st 3 feet in *Anuṣṭubh* whereas the 4th in *Gāthika khaṇḍa* of 15 and 18 *mātrās* respectively. I, 2, 3, 22¹ of *Sūyagaḍa* is in *Jāgatanuṣṭubhī saṃsṛṣṭi*.

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¹ In the edition used by K. H. Dhruva, it seems that this is written as if it is in prose. So he modifies it slightly on p. 162n and turns it into a verse.

Cites (8)