The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c7.2

c7.2

§37. In the canonical texts¹ (Uvav. and (a.o.) Viy 134b; Ṭhāṇ. 176a) Mahāvīra's teaching is called *niggantha pāvayaṇa* (Viy. 792b : *pavayaṇa*²), more precisely *duvālas'anga gaṇi-piḍaga* (a.o Viy. 792b; 866b=Nandi 246b; Samav. 106b). This means "the basket of teacher(s)³ containing 12 Angas". Samav. 73b speaking of Angas 1-3 calls one individual Anga *gaṇi-piḍaga*. The consonance with the *tipiṭaka* and the *anga* of the Buddhists (for the latter word comp. a.o. WINTERNITZ, History 2, 8) is apparent. As to *anga*, a reminiscence of the Vedāngas is equally possible. But *vedānga* means "auxiliary members" (to the Vedas), the Jain Angas are members of a unit formed by themselves. The collection through which this unit must have been established, is due to a council at Pāṭaliputra described by the Śvetāmbaras in Par. 9, 57ff. Considering that Bhadrabāhu who belonged to the 6th generation following Mahāvīra played an important rôle in it (§ 23), this council must have taken place in the 2nd decade of the 4th century B. C. On the other hand it must be mentioned that, as was pointed out by JACOBI,⁴ the oldest texts owing to metrical observations seem to date from times not earlier than the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century, the more so since the value of literary products is acknowledged not earlier than a good time after their being composed and then leads to their collection.