A History of Indian Literature v2.c20.s2.195

v2.c20.s2.195

The Nandī and the Aṇuogadāra² are sometimes counted among the Païṇṇas, but they are usually mentioned either before or after the Mūla-Sūtras as independent texts standing outside the groups. They are in prose with occasional verses. The Aṇuogadāra is in the form of questions and answers. The Nandī (probably "auspicious introduction") which, according to tradition, was written by Devarddhi, the redactor of the Siddhānta, in person,³ begins with a hymn of praise to Mahāvīra, and is followed by an enumeration of the twenty-four Tīrthakaras and the eleven Gaṇadharas (heads of schools) and a Therāvalī (list of teachers) which ends with Dūsagaṇi, the teacher of Devarddhi. Both works are huge encyclopædias, dealing with everything which should be known by a Jaina monk. The survey of the Canon which they give, is of great importance. They do not, however, deal exclusively with themes pertaining to religion, but treat also of profane branches of knowledge. Both texts contain an interesting enumeration of the "false tradition" (micchāsuaṃ, mithyā-śrutam) or "worldly" (loïe, laukika) sciences, which begins with Bhāraham (Mahābhārata) and Rāmāyaṇam, but mentions, besides some hitherto unexplained titles, among others Koḍillayaṃ (Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra), Ghoḍayamuhaṃ (the Kāma-Sūtra of Ghoṭakamukha, a predecessor of Vātsyāyana), Vaïsesiyaṃ (the Vaiśeṣika system of philosophy), Buddha-Sāsaṇaṃ (the doctrine of Buddha), Kāvilaṃ (the system of Kapila), Logāyataṃ (Lokāyata, system of materialism), Purāṇa, grammar (vāgaraṇaṃ), Bhāgavayaṃ (Bhāgavata-Purāṇa), Pāamjali (Pātañjali), mathematics (gaṇiaṃ) and drama (nāḍayāi, nāṭakāni) and lastly "the four Vedas together with the Aṅgas and Upāṅgas."¹ There are entire sections dealing with moods in poetry (kāvyarasa), including love lyrics in illustration of the subject, with grammar (compound words, word-formation), the division of time, etc.