Jain Agam Literature


Compiled by
Pravin K. Shah
Jain Study Center of NC (Raleigh)


Background

Lord Mahavir's preaching was orally complied by his disciples into many texts. This knowledge was orally transferred from acharyas (gurus) to the disciples over the course of about one thousand years. In olden times, monks strictly followed the five great vows of Jainism. Even religious scriptures were considered possessions and therefore knowledge of the religion was never documented. Also, during the course of time many learned acharyas (elder monks) complied commentaries on the various subjects of the Jain religion.

Around 500 A.D., which was one thousand years after Lord Mahavir's nirvana (death), Jain acharyas realized that it was extremely difficult to keep memorizing the entire Jain literature complied by the many scholars of the past and present. In fact, significant knowledge was already lost and the rest was polluted with modifications and errors. Hence, they decided to document the Jain literature as known to them. In this time period two major sects, namely Digambar and Swetambar, were already in existence. A thousand years later (1500 A.D.), the Swetambar sect divided into three subsects known as Swetambar Murtipujak, Sthanakvasi, and Terapanthi. Differences exist among these sects in their acceptance of the validity of the documented Jain scriptures and literature.

Jain Literature

Jain literature is classified into two major categories:

Agam literature is also divided into two groups:

Agam Literature:

Lord Mahavir's preaching was methodically compiled by his followers into many texts. These texts are collectively known as Agams, the sacred books of the Jain religion. Hence, the Jain religion does not have one sacred book like the Bible or Koran, but it has many books complied by many followers.

Ang-agams:

Lord Mahavir's immediate disciples were known as Ganadharas. All Ganadharas possessed perfect knowledge (keval-jnan). They orally complied the direct preaching of Lord Mahavir into twelve main texts (sutras). These texts are known as Ang-agams. Hence the Ang-agams are the oldest religious scriptures and the back bone of Jain literature.

The twelfth Ang-agam is called Drastivad. The Drastivad consists of fourteen Purva texts, also known as Purvas or Purva-agams. Among Ang-agams, Purvas were the oldest sacred texts. All Jain sects believe that knowledge of the Purvas (Drastivad) were gradually lost starting two hundred years after Lord Mahavir's nirvan (death). However, the subject matter of the Purvas has been referenced by other Jain scriptures and literature.

The Digambar Jain sect also believes that the remaining eleven Ang-agams were gradually lost. All Swetambar Jains believe that the proper meaning and the original intent of the eleven Ang-agams survived and were properly documented by elder monks one thousand years after Lord Mahavir's nirvan.
Sect Number of
Ang-agams
Accepted
Present Status
Digambar 11 All are lost
Swetambar Murtipujak 11 Available
Swetambar Sthanakvasi 11 Available
Swetambar Terapanthi 11 Available

Ang-bahya-agams:

Monks who had knowledge of a minimum of ten Purvas were known as Srut-kevlis. The Srut-kevlis wrote many texts (sutras) expanding the subject matter defined in the Ang-agams. Collectively these texts are called Ang-bahya-agams meaning outside of Ang-agams.

The different Jain sects accept different numbers of Ang-bahya texts. However the Digambar sect believes that they were also gradually lost starting about two hundred years after Lord Mahavir's Nirvan.
Sects Number of
Ang-bahya-agams
Accepted
Present Status
Digambar 14 All are Lost
Swetambar Murtipujak 34 Available
Swetambar Sthanakvasi 21 Available
Swetambar Terapanthi 21 Available

Classification of Ang-bahya-agams:

The Swetambar sect has divided Ang-bahya-agams into the following categories:

Classification Summary:
agams Swetambar Murtipujak
Sect
Sthanakvasi Terapanthi
Sects
Upang-agams 12 12
Chhed-sutra-agams 6 4
Mool-sutra-agams 4 3
Chulika-sutra-agams 2 2
Prakirna-agams 10 none
Total Ang-bahya-agams 34 21

Digambar Jain Literature:

The Digambar sect believes that there were 25 Agam-sutras (11 Ang-agams + 14 Ang-bahya-agams) complied from the original preaching of Lord Mahavir. However, they were gradually lost starting about two hundred years after Lord Mahavir's nirvana. Hence the existing Agam-sutras (which are accepted by the Swetambar sects) are not accepted by them as authentic scriptures.

In the absence of authentic scriptures, Digambars use the following literature as the basis for their religious practice. These scriptures were written by great Acharyas (scholars) from 100 to 800 A.D. and are based on the original Agam Sutras.

Shatkhand-agam:

This Digambar scripture is also known as Maha-kammapayadi-pahuda or Maha-karma-prabhrut. It was written by two Acharyas; Pushpadant and Bhutabali around 160 A.D. The second Purva-agam named Agraya-niya was used as the basis for this scripture. The scripture contains six volumes. Acharya Virsen wrote two commentary texts, known as Dhaval-tika on the first five volumes and Maha-dhaval-tika on the sixth volume of this scripture, around 780 A.D.

Kashay-pahud (Kashay Prabhrut): This scripture was written by Acharya Gunadhara. The fifth Purva-agam named Jnan-pravad was used as a basis for this scripture. Acharya Virsen and his disciple, Jinsen, wrote a commentary text known as Jaya-dhaval-tika around 780 A.D.

Four Anuyogas:

  1. Pratham-anuyoga (Dharma-kath-anuyoga) - Religious Stories

    This anuyoga consists of the following texts which contain religious stories, art, literature, history, poetry, and like literature.
    Name Author Time
    Padma-puran Ravisen 650 A.D.
    Harivamsa-puran Jinsen II 783 A.D.
    Adi-puran Jinsen II 783 A.D.
    Uttar-puran Gunabhadra 879 A.D.

  2. Charn-anuyoga - Conduct

    This anuyoga consists of the following texts which contain principles of observances, conduct, behavior, and like literature.
    Mulachar Vattaura 600 A.D.
    Trivarnachar Vattaura 600 A.D.
    Ratna-karanda-shravak-achar Samantabhadra 600 A.D.

  3. Karan-anuyoga (Ganit-anuyog) - Description of the Universe

    This anuyoga consists of the following texts which contain geography, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and like literature.
    Surya-prajnapti Unknown-
    Chandra-prajnapti Unknown-
    Jaya-dhaval-tika Virsen/Jinsen 780 A.D.
    Gommat-sar Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarti 1000 A.D.

  4. Dravy-anuyog - Philosophy

    This anuyoga consists of the following texts which contain philosophical doctrine, theories, Tattvajnan, and like literature.
    Niyamasar Kunda-kunda 100 A.D.
    Panchastikaya Kunda-kunda 100 A.D.
    Pravachanasar Kunda-kunda 100 A.D.
    Samaya-sara Kunda-kunda 100 A.D.
    Tattvartha-sutra Umaswami 200 A.D.
    commentary by Samantabhadra 600 A.D.
    commentary by Pujyapad 700 A.D.
    commentary by Akalank 750 A.D.
    commentary by Vidyanand 800 A.D.
    Aptamimamsa Samantabhadra 600 A.D.
    commentary by Akalank 750 A.D.
    commentary by Vidyanand 800 A.D.

Summary:

The Jain literature which was complied by Ganadharas and Srut-kevlis is known as Agam literature. These texts are the holy scriptures of the Jain religion.

The Agam Sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. The existing Agam Sutras are accepted as the authentic preaching of Lord Mahavir by the Swetambar sects, but the Digambar sect does not accept them as authentic. Digambars follow two main texts (Shatkhand Agam and Kasay Pahud) and four Anuyogs (consisting of more than 20 texts) written by great Acharyas (scholars) from 100 to 800 A.D.

All other Jain literature is known as Non-agam literature.

Summary Table: Category Accepted by Digambar Swetambar Murtipujak Sthanakvasi Terapanthi Ang-agams 11 11 11 Ang-bahya-agams 14 34 21 Total Agams 25 45 32

Classification of Ang-bahya-agams of Swetamber Sects:

Upang-agams 12 12
Chhed-sutra-agams 6 4
Mool-sutra-agams 4 3
Chulika-sutra-agams 2 2
Prakirna-agams 10 none
Total Ang-bahya-agams 34 21

Details of Jain Agams: