Mahaviras Word - Book Summary | JainGPT

This comprehensive summary synthesizes the key aspects of Walther Schübring's "Mahāviras Word," as presented in its English translation by W. Bollée and J. Soni, published by L. D. Indology, Ahmedabad. The work is a scholarly exploration of core Jain texts, focusing on critical translations and analyses of Mahāvira's teachings.

Core Content and Purpose:

Mahāvira's Words: The book's title, "Worte Mahāvīras. Kritische Übersetzungen aus dem Kanon der Jaina," underscores its primary goal: to present critical translations from the canon of the Svetāmbara Jainas, offering a philological critique of these texts.
Faithfulness to Original: Schübring aimed for extreme faithfulness to the original Prakrit texts, meticulously marking any translator insertions (in square brackets) and additions (in angle brackets), including the implied verb "to be."
Scholarly Rigor: The work is characterized by its deep scholarship, evident in its critical approach, engagement with existing Jaina studies, and the extensive material added by the translators, particularly Professor Willem Bollée.
Academic Standard: The English translation strives to elevate a 'simple' translation into an academic work, reflecting Schübring's original scholarship through improved expressions and the incorporation of vast knowledge, especially from Professor Bollée.

Key Texts Translated and Analyzed:

The book focuses on critical translations of significant portions of the Svetāmbara Jaina canon, primarily from the Anga literature, including:

The Lotus (Sūyagada II 1): A parable illustrating the concept of the individual self, rebirth, action, and liberation. It uses the analogy of a lotus pond to represent the world, water as effective deeds, sludge as desires, and lotuses as beings. The parable highlights the folly of those attached to the material world and the path to liberation through detachment.
The Ways of Action (Sūyagada II 2): This section delves into the categorization of actions, distinguishing between guilty and pious actions, and outlining thirteen types of violent deeds arising from various causes like purposeful or purposeless actions, untrue speech, unallowed acquisition, bad moods, pride, and greed. It also details the consequences of such actions, particularly the cycles of suffering and rebirth.
Pure Life (Bambhacerāim): This section, the first half of the Ācārānga-Sūtra, emphasizes renunciation and the nature of pure conduct. It discusses the equality of all living beings and the imperative to protect them, the relationship between asceticism and worldly desires, and the consequences of both adhering to and deviating from monastic principles. It also includes warnings against temptations and the importance of proper conduct, including rules for clothing and eating.
Understanding (Sūyagada I 1): This text explores various philosophical viewpoints on the nature of the soul, the world, action, and liberation. It critically examines opposing doctrines such as eternalism, nihilism, fatalism, and the belief in a creator god, contrasting them with the Jain perspective of understanding reality through multiple standpoints (anekāntavāda). Mahāvira's teachings are presented as a path of self-knowledge, non-attachment, and the practice of non-violence.
A New Way (Sūyagada I 2): This section focuses on the importance of waking up to reality and renouncing worldly attachments. It highlights the transience of human life and the suffering caused by desires, emphasizing the need for diligence, introspection, and adherence to the monastic path. It contrasts the steadfast monk with the fickle one who succumbs to temptations, offering examples of ascetics who achieved liberation through strict practices.
Renunciation of Temptation (Sūyagada I 3): This chapter critically examines various temptations that a monk faces, particularly those related to worldly pleasures, family attachments, and societal expectations. It details the consequences of succumbing to these temptations and contrasts them with the path of renunciation and steadfastness advocated by Mahāvira. It includes detailed descriptions of the hardships faced by ascetics and the various stratagems used by worldly people to lure them back.
Renunciation of Women (Sūyagada I 4): This crucial section focuses on the challenges posed by women to the monastic path, illustrating how attachments to them can lead to downfall. It describes the deceptive tactics employed by women to entice monks and emphasizes the need for constant vigilance, detachment, and adherence to the core principles of Jain monasticism.
The Platform (Sūyagada I 12): This chapter presents four platforms or viewpoints on which opponents of the Jain doctrine stand: the doctrine of deed (karma), the denial of deed (akriyā), the pious life-style (śīla), and agnosticism (a-jñāna). Schübring analyzes these differing perspectives, contrasting them with Mahāvira's teachings on knowledge, non-violence, and liberation.
The Tradition of Fasting (Bambhacerāim, Chapter 9): This chapter, though its numbering suggests it follows others, appears to be appended to the explanation of pure life. It details Mahavira's own extreme ascetic practices, including his rigorous fasting and renunciation of clothing, highlighting his personal example of enduring hardships and maintaining equanimity. It also touches upon the rules for monks regarding clothing and eating.
Pure Life (Bambhacerāim): This chapter, the first half of the Ācārānga-Sūtra, serves as a foundational text. It emphasizes the moral conduct required of ascetics, the importance of non-violence towards all living beings, and the path to liberation. It details various aspects of monastic life, including rules for conduct, eating, and the renunciation of worldly attachments.

Methodology and Contribution:

Critical Edition: Schübring's work is based on critical editions of the Prakrit texts, taking into account various manuscripts and commentaries. His 1910 edition of the Ācārānga-Sūtra is particularly noted as a foundational scholarly achievement.
Textual Analysis: The book provides a detailed analysis of the literary structure of the Jaina canon, distinguishing between prose and metrical styles, identifying various metres (śloka, tristubh, āryā, etc.), and even proposing reconstructions of corrupted or fragmented verses.
Historical Context: Schübring places the texts within their historical and religious context, discussing the development of the Jaina canon and the attempts to fix its wording.
Philological Critique: The work offers a philological critique, aiming to clarify the original meaning of the texts, often contrasting it with traditional interpretations or later additions.
Schubring's Legacy: The translators, particularly Bollée, have ensured that Schübring's seminal work remains accessible and relevant to contemporary scholarship in Jaina studies, making his meticulous research available to a wider audience.

Overall Significance:

"Mahāvira's Words" by Walther Schübring is a monumental work that significantly contributes to the academic understanding of Jainism. It provides invaluable critical translations and analyses of key canonical texts, offering a deep dive into the philosophical and ethical teachings of Mahāvira. The meticulous scholarship, combined with the translators' efforts to enrich and update the work, makes it an indispensable resource for anyone studying Jainism or Indian religions. The book serves not only as a translation of Mahāvira's teachings but also as a testament to the rigorous scholarship required to engage with ancient religious texts.