Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c5.s13.t1.1

c5.s13.t1.1

The oldest explanatory literature on the sacred texts is represented by *Nijjuttis* which consists of a very concise explanation in verses. These *Nijjuttis* contain a number of historical or legendary tales elucidating Jain doctrines and moral or disciplinary rules given in the Jain Canons. The *Nijjuttis* were probably memorial verses which were learnt by heart by the teachers who used them in their oral interpretation of the Canons.⁴⁰ It is suggested that since the *Nijjuttis* are aboslutely unintelligible without the support of the commentary, there must have been an extensive commentary where all tales and legends referred to in *Nijjuttis* must have been told at length.⁴¹ But unfortunately we have no means of ascertaining the existence and nature of these hypothetical commentaries and how far they were epitomised in the present *Niryuktis*.⁴² The *Nijjutis* served as the foundation for several other later commentaries. The following are the ten *Nijjutis*: (1) *Āyārānga*, (2) *Sūyagaḍanga*, (3) *Sūriyapannatti*, (4) *Uttarajjhayana*, (5) *Āvassaya*, (6) *Dasaveyāliya*, (7) *Dasāsuyakkhandha*, (8) *Kappa*, (9) *Vavahāra* and (10) *Isibhāsiya*. The tradition is unanimous in attributing the authorship of the *Nijjutis* to Bhadrabāhu, who seems to be different from Bhadrabāhu, the last *Śrutakevalin*, who died 170 years after Mahāvīra's death (*i.e.*, 297 B.C.), and who was the author of the *Cheda Sūtras*.