Agam 05 Ang 05 Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

This comprehensive summary, based on the provided text of Jozef Deleu's "Viyāhapannatti (Bhagavai)," details the structure, content, and scholarly significance of this pivotal Jain canonical text.

I. Introduction to the Viyāhapannatti (Bhagavai)

• Canonical Position: The Viyāhapannatti, also known as Bhagavai, is the fifth Anga (limb or section) of the Svetambara Jaina Canon.
• Title and Content: Its title translates to "Proclamation of Explanations," indicating that the text primarily consists of questions and answers, typically posed by Mahāvīra's disciple Goyama Indabhūi and answered by Mahāvīra himself.
• Scholarly Description: It is described as a "monumental work" and an "omnium gatherum" or "tohu bohu" due to its vast and seemingly disorganized collection of topics, teachings presented in diverse forms (narratives, discussions, calculations, refutations, etc.), and varying origins and antiquity.
• Scholarly Need: A critical analysis of its contents and composition is considered long overdue, with this volume aiming to provide an introduction, a detailed content analysis, and indices of proper names and technical terms.

II. Structure and Composition of the Viyāhapannatti

• Divisions: The text is divided into 41 sayas (chapters), most of which are further subdivided into uddesas (sections). Saya XV is unique in being ekkasara (having no subdivisions). Some sayas (XXI-XXIII, XXXIII-XL) have additional intermediate subdivisions like vaggas (classes) and avāntarasayas (sub-chapters).
• Total Count: The colophon states a total of 138 sayas (including sub-sayas) and 1925 uddesas.
• Nucleus and Accretions: Scholarly opinion, notably by Weber and Schubring, suggests that Sayas I-XX originally formed the core or "nucleus" of the Viyāhapannatti.
  • Saya XV (Teyanisagga/Gosalayasaya): Originally a separate text, it was later incorporated due to its narrative importance.
  • Accretions: Sayas XXI-XXIII, XXVI-XXIX, XXXI-XXXII, and XXXV-XL, along with the separate sayas XXIV, XXX, XXXIII, XXXIV, and XLI, are considered later additions characterized by uniform subject matter and a consistent dialogue structure (Goyama questioning Mahāvīra in the Gunasilaya sanctuary).
  • Saya XXV: Its position and content make its originality a subject of debate, with arguments both for and against its inclusion in the nucleus.
• Characteristics of the Nucleus: Unlike the accretions, the nucleus sayas (I-XX) depict Mahāvīra in various locations, interacting with a diverse range of individuals (disciples, elders, dissidents, laypeople, gods). The subject matter shifts rapidly, often without clear logical connection, and recurring themes appear at intervals. This incoherence, along with diverse presentation styles (dialogues, detached statements, conversion stories, refutations of heterodox views, quotations from other canonical works), suggests that the nucleus reflects Mahāvīra's actual teachings rather than later systematization.

III. Analysis of Content and Ordering Principles

• References ($9-14): A significant portion of the nucleus sayas involves explicit or implicit references to other canonical texts, particularly the Pannavaņā, Jivābhigama (with the interpolated Divasāgarapannatti), and Jambuddīvapannatti. These references function as interpolations, effectively incorporating large parts of these other texts into the Viyāhapannatti.
  • Pannavaņā: Nearly the entire Pannavaņā is incorporated.
  • Jivābhigama: Primarily the third padivatti (classification of beings) is incorporated.
  • Jambuddīvapannatti: Sections are incorporated, particularly vakkhāras I-VI.
  • Other Texts: References are also made to Samavāya, Uvavaiya, Nandi, and Aņogadārā.
  • Ordering: References are often used loosely as introductions or supplements to existing texts, contributing to the overall structure through parallelism and enframement.
• Non-dialogue Texts ($15): Several non-dialogue fragments are present, often quotations from the Thāņa Sūtra or Uvavaiya Sūtra. These serve as glosses, introducing or commenting on topics, similar in character to occasional references.
• Nucleus as Primary Teaching ($16): The nucleus sayas are considered the most genuine dialogue texts in the canon, preserving Mahāvīra's active personality against his environmental background. The frequent appearance of Goyama and Rāyagiha in the nucleus is attributed to tradition losing precise details, leading to standardization.
• Diverse Interactions ($16-20): The text records Mahāvīra's interactions with:
  • Other disciples besides Goyama.
  • Elders, monks, nuns, and laypeople.
  • Followers of Pārsva's creed.
  • Ajivikas and other dissidents.
  • Brahmans, noblemen, and merchants.
  • Gods.
• Characteristic Dialogues ($17): Dialogues featuring interlocutors other than Mahāvīra and Goyama are highlighted, such as those involving Roha, Mandiyaputta, Māgandiyaputta, Aggibhūi, Vāubhūi, and even a dialogue solely between Niyanthīputta and Nārayaputta. The text also captures instances of Mahāvīra confirming his disciples' answers, supplementing them, or defending their actions. Personal feelings of Mahāvīra are rarely recorded, but notable exceptions include his interaction with the young disciple Aimutta and his clear sympathy for Ceḍaga of Vesāli in a political rivalry.
• Refutation of Dissidents ($18): These texts shed light on Mahāvīra's refutation of heterodox views, addressing topics like the simultaneity of actions, the irrevocabile factum tenet, and the nature of matter and soul.
• Conversion Stories ($19): The text includes exemplary conversion stories of representative figures from various social strata, such as a brahman, a monk of Pārsva's creed, a dissident, a king, a noble lady, and a merchant. These stories often serve as models and have influenced later canonical texts.
• Stories about Gods ($20): The text also features stories about gods interacting with Mahāvīra, often seeking arbitration or asking questions about their existence and past lives.

IV. Ordering Principles and Methods ($21)

The composition of the nucleus sayas is not entirely chaotic but follows discernible, albeit complex, ordering principles:

1. Association of Ideas: Logical connections, however tenuous, sometimes link texts (e.g., "moisture" with "water").
2. External Resemblance: A common word or phrase often serves as a link between disparate topics. These connections can be phonetic (assonances) and are believed to have served mnemonic purposes or to create a perceived coherence.
3. Method of Prefixion, Interpolation, Addition, and Integration: Texts are often added before, between, or after other texts to introduce, supplement, or integrate them, particularly in the case of references.
4. Recurrence, Enframement, and Parallelism: Thematic recurrences at the end of a saya to its beginning, enframing portions of the text, and maintaining parallel structures between sayas or uddesas are identified as key organizational methods.
5. Principle of 'Initial' and 'Final' Topics: Certain topics tend to appear at the beginning (initial) or end (final) of sayas (e.g., attraction of matter as initial, refutation of dissidents as final).
6. Numerical Principle: The arrangement of texts is sometimes based on numerical series (e.g., "one, two, three").

V. Conclusion

Jozef Deleu's "Viyāhapannatti (Bhagavai)" is presented as a critical analysis of the fifth Anga of the Jaina Canon. The work highlights the text's immense scope, its complex structure indicative of multiple layers of composition, and the underlying ordering principles that scholars have identified. By dissecting the nucleus and accretions, analyzing the references to other canonical works, and discussing the various narrative and doctrinal patterns, Deleu aims to provide a foundation for further, deeper study of this crucial Jain scripture. The detailed breakdown of sayas and uddesas in the later sections of the text underscores the book's function as a critical index and commentary.