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Bhagwan
Mahavira's teachings were carried on by his ganadharas to us in the
form of scriptures (Agams or Angas). They were compiled into twelve
separate parts, known as Angagama or Angas or the dwadashangi (twelve
parts). The knowledge of Sruti, Sruta-Jnana, which are contained in
the Anga (Limbs or sacred books of the Jainas) or the things outsides
of Anga,. This Jaina Sacred Literature is mostly lost
today as by Digambara sect.
These 12 parts of Anga or Anagama are:
1.The Ćchįra-anga comprises a full exposition of the
rules of conduct for ascetics. It contains 18,000
Madhyama Padas.
2. The Sūtrakrita-anga comprises a detailed exposition of
knowledge, humility etc., of religious rites, and
difference between the rites of one's own religion and those of the
other one-sided views. It contains 36,000 Madhyama Padas.
3. The Sthāna-anga comprises an exposition
of one or more sthānas, or numerical
points of view in considering Jīva (Soul), Pudgala (Matter) and other
Dravyas. While the Jīva-dravya or soul id from the point
of view of consciousness one and the same
everywhere, from the point of view of being liberated (siddha) or
mundane (samsārin) it is of two kinds. Similarly the samsārin,
or mundane Jīva, that soul not yet perfectly freed
from the bondage of karmas which keep it moving in the cycle of
existences, is of three kinds - one-sensed immobile (sthāvara),
not full-sensed (vikalendriya), and in
possession of all the organs of
the senses or full-sensed (sakalendriya).
The liberated souls too, are of
many kinds from the point of view
of place, time etc. This anga contains 42,000
Madhyama Padas.
4. The Samavāya-anga gives an account of the similarities that
arise from the point of view of Dravya (elements of the
universe), Ksetra (place), Kāla (time), and
Bhāva (character). From the point of
view of dravya, Dharma and Adharma
are alike (that is, both are constituent elements of the
universe). From the point of view of
place, the breadth of human region, and of
the first central hole of the first hell
(indrakabila), and the first central car or abode of the
first heaven (indrakavimāna), and the abode of siddhas
are alike. From the point of view of time, the Utsarpini and
Avasarpini, the ascending and descending arcs or eras are alike.
From the point of view of bhāva, right-belief
and right-knowledge are the same. This Anga has 164,000 Madhyama
Padas.
5. The Vyākhyā-prajńapti-anga gives
an acoount of the 60,000
questions which the chief disciples put to the Omniscient
Lord, the Trithamkara, with their answers. It
has 228,000 Madhyama Padas.
6.The Jńātridharma-kathā-anga is
also called Dharma-Kathā-anga. It
gives an exposition in detail of the nature ect., of the
nine padarthas Jiva etc., as well
as the answers to questions which
the Ganadharas put to the
Lord. It has 556,000
Madhyama Padas.
7. The Upāsakādhyayna-anga gives details of the eleven stages
of a householder's life, the vows of chastity etc.,
and other rules of conduct for the
householder's, as well as aphorisms and lectures on
the same. It has 1,170,000 Madhyama Padas.
8. The Antakrit-daa-anga gives account in detail of the ten
ascetics who, in the period of each of the twenty-four
Trithamkaras, undergo very strict suffering in
asceticism and finally set themselves
free from the bondage
of Karma. It has 2,328,000
Madhyama Padas.
9. The Anuttaropapādaka-daa-anga gives an
acoount of the ten great ascetics who, in the
period of each Trithamkaras, practice asceticism
of a very high type and in
virtue of that take birth in the five Anuttaravimānas, or heavens,
such as Vijaya etc. It has 9,244,000 Madhyama Padas.
10. The Prana-vyākarana-anga gives
instructions as to how to reply to
questions relating to past and future time,
gain and loss, happiness and misery, life and death, good and
evil, etc. It also furnishes an account of the
four kinds of narration, viz., Āksepanī
(substantiation), Viksepanī (refutation), Samvedanī
(devotion), Nirvedanī (renunciation). It has 9,316,000
Madhyama Padas.
11. The Vipāka-sūtra-anga contains an
exposition of the bondage, operation,
and existence of Karmas, and of their
intensity or mildness from the point of view
of dravya, ksetra, kāla and bhāva. It has 18,400,000
Madhyama Padas.
12. The Drishti-pravāda-anga has 1,086,856,005 Madhyama Padas.
It is divided into five parts: five Parikarmas,
Sūtra, Prathamānuyoga, fourteen Pūrva-gatas,
and five Chūlikās. These five parts
will be considered one by one.
From - GOMMATASARA, JIVA-KAND
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