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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
22
Kalpasútra.
After having given such information about the general questions connected with Jainism and its literature, as I was izble to gather, I shall now discuss the Kalpasútra in particular. That work does not belong to the Âgamas or sacred books of the Jainas. It is even pronounced by the Digambaras te be a forgery (see Indian Antiquary) because it contains the account of Mahâvîra's having entered the womb of Devânandâ before he was placed in that of Tricalâ, which the Digambaras deny to have been the case. But as the same story is also related in the Acârâïgn and Âvacyaka Sätras, it seems to be very old, and consequently the criticism of the Digambaras falls to the ground. With the vetâmbaras the Kalpasútra is a great authority, and is alw:lys read publicly during the varshâvâsa or l'ajjusan.
The Kalpasůtra is supposed to be the work of Bhadrabâhu. He is said to have found the materials for it in the ninth pûrva, called Pratyakhyânapravâda, as we learn from the following passage of its commentary called Kiraņâvali.
pranetâ tâvat sarvâksharasamnipâtavicakshanac caturdaçapûrvavid yugapradhânaḥ çrîBhadrabâhusvâmî dacâçrutaskandhasyâ 'shtamadhyayanarûpatayâ pratyakhyânaprava dâbhidhananavamapûrvật Kalpasûtram idam sâtritavân. "But the author was the yugapradhana Bhadrabâhusvâmin, who was well versed in the combination of all letters (see note to § 138), and knew the fourteen pûrvas. He composed this Kalpasûtra as the eighth chapter of the Daçâçrutaskandha, by extracting it from the ninth pûrva called Pratyâkhyânaprava da".
The statement of the Kiranâvali, which is repeated by other commentators, that the Kalpasútra is called Paryushanåkalpa, and forms the eighth chapter of the Daçâçrutaskandha, is erroneous and has been caused by a wrong interpretation of the last words of the Kalpasûtra itself. Rightly understood, they prove that it applies only to the last part, the Sâmâcârîs, or rules for yatis. For at the end of the Kalpasûtra it is said that Mahavîra "thus pronounced, thus enunciated, thus declared, thus explained the (eighth) chapter called Paryushanakalpa". These words can only have reference to the Samâ cârîs, because the Jinacaritra and the Sthavirâvalî cannot be expected to have been related by Mahậvira. For the former mentions events which happened after his death, and the second part exclusively refers to the history of Jainism after Mahâvîra. Besides, those parts have no relation to the Paryushanâ or varshâvâsa. They have, therefore, no claim to the title Paryushanakalpa, and cannot, consequently, be regarded as having, originally, made part of the eighth chapter of the Daçâcrutaskandha. The naiural consequence of the preceding deduction is,
the Sâmâcârîs only, being comprised by the name Paryushana kalpa, and forming the eighth chapter of the Daçãçiutaskandha, can be looked upon as the work of Bhadrabâhu. It is self-evident
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