Surya Pragnapati Chandra Pragnapati Ek Vivechan

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Surya Pragnapati Chandra Pragnapati Ek Vivechan" by Chhaganlal Shastri:

This article by Professor Dr. Chhaganlal Shastri delves into the complex issue surrounding two Jain Agamas, Surya Pragnapati (Sun treatise) and Chandra Pragnapati (Moon treatise), which are often considered to have nearly identical subject matter and text. This raises a question among scholars: how can two distinct names refer to the same content?

The author begins by contextualizing these two texts within the framework of Jain Agamic literature. He explains the concept of the "Shruta Purusha" (Scriptural Person), a metaphor where the body of a person is likened to the twelve Angas (limbs) of the Jain canon. These Angas are the core scriptures like Acharanga, Sutrakritanga, etc., forming the "Dvadashangi" (Twelve-limbed canon).

Following the Angas are the Upangas (secondary limbs). The text lists twelve Upangas, including Chandra Pragnapati (listed as the sixth) and Surya Pragnapati (listed as the seventh). The author points out that while ideally, Upangas should complement their corresponding Angas and exhibit thematic similarity, this is often not the case. He highlights that Upangas, in a traditional sense, were considered "Angabahya" (external to the Angas), meaning they were composed by senior monks rather than being directly delivered by the Tirthankaras.

The author then draws a parallel with Vedic tradition, where the Vedas are also described as having Angas (like Chhanda, Kalpa, Jyotisha, Nirukta, Shiksha, Vyakarana) and Upangas (like Puranas, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Dharma Shastras). However, he stresses that the meaning of "Anga" differs; in Jainism, it refers to the subject matter, while in Vedic tradition, it refers to auxiliary disciplines for understanding the core Vedas. The Vedic concept of Upvedas (like Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Gandharva Veda, Arthashastra) is also discussed, noting the often tenuous thematic connections to the main Vedas. The author suggests that the Jain concept of Upangas might have been inspired by this Vedic practice of elaborating on core texts.

Focusing on Chandra Pragnapati and Surya Pragnapati:

• Chandra Pragnapati:

  • It is accepted as the sixth Upanga.
  • It extensively describes the size, luminosity, movements, rising, and setting of the Moon and Sun, along with related astronomical details of other planets.
  • The text is divided into twenty "Prabhritas" (sections or chapters).
  • The article provides the first eighteen gathas (verses) that commence Chandra Pragnapati. These gathas include mangalacharan (auspicious invocation), salutations to revered figures, and the beginning of the dialogue where Gautama, a chief disciple of Mahavir, asks questions about celestial bodies.
  • The main text begins with the conventional style describing the city of Mithila, Manibhadra Chaitya, King Jitasatru, Queen Dharini, and the arrival of Bhagavan Mahavir.
  • The concluding six gathas discuss the eligibility and unsuitability of individuals for studying the text, emphasizing its profound and intricate nature, and warning against imparting its knowledge to the unworthy. The final gatha salutes Bhagavan Mahavir.
  • The text concludes by marking the end of the twentieth Prabhrita.

• Surya Pragnapati:

  • It is accepted as the seventh Upanga.
  • A significant problem is highlighted: the entire available text of Surya Pragnapati is identical to that of Chandra Pragnapati.
  • This anomaly, noted since the early 20th century with its publication alongside Chandra Pragnapati as separate books with identical content, lacks a definitive explanation.
  • Key Discrepancies within Surya Pragnapati:
    • The introductory eighteen gathas found in Chandra Pragnapati are absent in Surya Pragnapati.
    • Surya Pragnapati directly begins with the narrative sentences about Mithila city.
    • The text is divided into eight "Antara Prabhritas" (internal sections). The end-of-section markers vary: some mention "Surya Pragnapati" (in its genitive form "Suriyapannattiye" or "Suriyapannattiss") and others, surprisingly, mention "Chandra Pragnapati" (Chandra Pannattiss / Chandra Pannattiyen).
    • While most sections are marked as belonging to Surya Pragnapati, sections 3, 4, and 5 mention their respective number.
    • Crucially, the end of the sixth Prabhrita states "Chandrapannattiss chha paahud sammann," and the seventh Prabhrita ends with "Nandapananaattiyen sattamam paahudam samattam."
    • The tenth through nineteenth Prabhritas only indicate the number of the section.
    • The concluding six gathas are the same as in Chandra Pragnapati, but the very end of the text concludes with "Iti Chandrapannattie visamam paahudam samattam" (Thus, the twentieth Prabhrita of Chandra Pragnapati is completed).

Author's Analysis and Proposed Solutions:

The author expresses his personal engagement with Prakrit language and Jain Agamic studies, having studied under renowned scholars. He notes that despite presenting this problem to many scholars and monks, a satisfactory resolution remains elusive.

He then recounts a discussion with the esteemed Acharya Shri Nanlal Ji M.S., who offered a plausible theory. The Acharya suggested that while the vocabulary of both texts is the same, the meaning might have been different due to the inherent polysemy of words. This deeper, secret meaning might have been known only to profound scholars or enlightened monks. Over time, as the original texts or their interpretations became inaccessible to ordinary readers, and due to the textual similarity, the notion of them being one entity arose.

The author also proposes a hypothesis for the origin of the anomaly:

• Possible Loss and Misattribution: Surya Pragnapati might have originally existed as a distinct Agama but was lost over time. Later, during the organization or copying of manuscripts, a copy of Chandra Pragnapati that lacked its initial pages (title, auspicious verses, introductory gathas) might have been mistakenly identified as the missing Surya Pragnapati due to its placement between Chandra Pragnapati and the next Upanga (Nirayavalika).
• Mislabeling and Inconsistent Corrections: This misidentified copy, lacking a title page, might have been labeled "Surya Pragnapati." Subsequent scribes, following this precedent, created copies. Later, scholars, realizing the textual similarity but adhering to the established tradition of twelve Upangas, might have attempted to reconcile the discrepancy by inserting "Surya Pragnapati" at the end of some Prabhritas, but this was done inconsistently, leading to the observed contradictions.

The article concludes by stating that a definitive solution to the Surya Pragnapati and Chandra Pragnapati enigma remains undiscovered. It expresses hope that learned scholars will continue to strive for a resolution by analyzing ancient and modern literature, citing the words of the poet Bhavabhuti: "May I find some kindred spirit; this time is endless, and the earth is vast."