Agam 15 Upang 04 Pragnapana Sutra Part 02

The Prajñāpanā Sūtra (Part 2) is a significant Jain text, specifically an Upānga (secondary scripture), exploring fundamental Jain philosophical concepts. This comprehensive summary is based on the provided pages, which offer an extensive introduction, detailed explanations of various sections, and critical textual analysis.

Overall Context and Significance:

• Part of the Jain Canon: The Prajñāpanā Sūtra is recognized as an Upānga within the Svetambara Jain tradition, indicating its importance in understanding the broader Jain Agamic literature.
• Author and Date: The text is attributed to Arya Syāmācārya, a scholar believed to have flourished before the Common Era. The precise dating is debated, but it is considered ancient and predates later systematic works like Satkhandagama.
• Relationship with other Works: The Prajñāpanā is closely linked to the lost Anga work, Drstivāda, and is considered a stream of knowledge originating from it. It also shows connections and comparisons with other important Jain texts like Bhagavatī, Jivājivābhigama, and later works like Satkhandagama, providing insights into the development of Jain thought.
• Scope and Purpose: The Prajñāpanā aims to systematically elaborate on fundamental Jain principles, particularly concerning living beings (jiva) and non-living substances (ajiva). It delves into their classifications, attributes, dwelling places, numerical strengths, life-spans, modes of existence, and the influence of karma.

Key Themes and Concepts Covered:

1. Angabāhya Works and Their Relation to Anga Works:

   • The Prajñāpanā is placed within the context of the Jaina canon, emphasizing the Angas as the primary and oldest scriptures, believed to be compiled by Ganadharas.
   6. The Prajñāpanā itself is considered to be based on Drstivada, the lost 12th Anga.
   • The text highlights the scholarly debate regarding the authenticity and relationship of Pūrva literature (ancient texts believed to precede Mahāvīra) to the Angas, countering the views of scholars like Dr. Schubring.

2. Title and Terminology ('Prajñāpanā'):

   • The title reflects Lord Mahāvīra's own preachings, which were known for their systematic exposition.
   • The term 'prajñāpanā' signifies descriptive explanation, and its usage is justified due to the unique and comprehensive nature of the Jaina explanation of tattvas (entities).
   • The term 'paryāya' (mode) is central to the text's philosophy, explaining the changing states of substances, and is often used interchangeably with 'viseşa' (particulars) or 'guna' (qualities).

3. Classification of Living and Non-living Substances:

   • Ajīva (Non-living): Discussed first due to its relatively simpler classification into rūpi (material) and arūpi (immaterial) substances. Dharmāstikāya, Adharmāstikāya, and Ākāśa are described as having forms, but their specific characteristics and the term 'astikāya' are not explicitly defined, suggesting antiquity. Pudgala (matter) is extensively detailed with its numerous transformations concerning colour, odour, flavour, and touch.
   • Jīva (Living Substance): The core of the Prajñāpanā lies in the detailed classification of jivas.
     • Fundamental Divisions: Two main divisions exist: samsārī (in bondage) and siddha (liberated).
     • Classification Schemes: Jivas are classified based on:
       • Sense-organs: From one-sensed to five-sensed beings, highlighting the evolutionary progression.
       • Gati (States of Existence): Infernal beings, sub-human beings, human beings, and celestial beings.
       • Yoni (Birthplaces): Discussed with various classifications and details about the conditions of birth.
       • Sthiti (Life-span): Minimum and maximum durations are provided for various classes, noting differences between genders and types of beings.
       • Sañjñā (Instincts): Initially four (food, fear, sex, possession) and later expanded to ten, including passions like anger, pride, etc.
       • Samudghāta (Bodily Expansion): Various types of samudghāta are described, along with their connection to karma and temporal limits.
       • Moral Disciplines (Samyaṁa): Classification into self-controlled, uncontrolled, and partially controlled beings.
       • Karma: Detailed speculation on karma, including its types (jñānāvaraṇīya, darśanāvaraṇīya, vedanīya, mohanīya, āyu, nāma, gotra, antarāya), causes of bondage (rāga, dveṣa), fruition (anubhāva), duration (sthiti), and potentiality (bandha).
       • Activity (Yoga/Prayoga): The threefold activities of mind, speech, and body are discussed, with various sub-types and possibilities within different classes of beings.
       • Cognitive Activity (Upayoga, Paśyattā, Avadhi): Explores the nature of consciousness, perception, and extrasensory knowledge, noting distinctions and complexities in their application.
       • Concealed/Revealed (Carama/Acarama): Discusses the boundaries and intermediate aspects of substances within the universe.

4. Numerical Strength (Alpabahutva):

   • A significant portion is dedicated to comparing the numerical strength of different classes of beings and substances from various perspectives (dravya, kṣetra, kāla, bhāva). It highlights the vast disparity in numbers, with concepts like 'asamkhyāta' and 'ananta' playing crucial roles. It also notes interesting aspects like the reversed order of numerical strength in celestial beings compared to infernal beings.

5. Methodology and Structure:

   • The text is primarily in prose but includes numerous gathās (verses), some of which are considered traditional and others possibly later additions.
   • The structure is often question-answer based, with dialogues attributed to Lord Mahāvīra and Gautama, although other divisions exist.
   • The text exhibits a literary division into 36 Padas, each dealing with specific aspects of the primary classifications.
   • The analytical approach, examining things from multiple standpoints (naya), is evident.
   • The work includes detailed discussions on concepts like 'upayoga' and 'paryāya', revealing a sophisticated philosophical framework.

6. Commentaries and Textual Criticism:

   • The Prajñāpanā has attracted numerous commentaries throughout history, with notable ones by Ācārya Haribhadra (Pradeśavyākhyā), Ācārya Abhayadeva (Sangrahaņi and Avacūrṇi), and Ācārya Malayagiri (Vivṛti).
   • The introduction highlights the editors' efforts in critical analysis, identifying textual variations across manuscripts and earlier editions, demonstrating a commitment to establishing the most authentic reading of the ancient text.

Overall Summary:

The Prajñāpanā Sūtra, as presented in Part 2, is a deep dive into the foundational concepts of Jainism, particularly focusing on the nature, classification, attributes, and interactions of living beings and substances. It showcases the Jain understanding of existence, karma, consciousness, and the path to liberation, often contrasting with other Indian philosophical traditions. The text's structure, its reliance on logical analysis and enumeration, and the detailed explanations provided by its commentators underscore its significance as a pivotal scripture in the Jain canon, offering a window into the sophisticated ontological and soteriological framework of Jainism. The extensive critical notes on textual variations reflect the scholarly effort involved in preserving and understanding these ancient Jain teachings.