Vivag Suyam - Book Summary | JainGPT

The book you've provided is "Vivāgasuya: The eleventh Anga of the Jain Canon" by Dr. P. L. Vaidya, published in 1935. It is an edition intended for university students, featuring an introduction, glossary, and notes.

Here's a comprehensive summary based on the provided text:

Overall Purpose and Structure:

Title Meaning: "Vivāgasuya" translates to a sacred text about the "matured fruit" (vivāga) of actions (karma) performed in previous lives, both good and bad.
Division: The work is divided into two main parts:
- Duhavivāga (दुहविवाग): Deals with the fruits of bad actions.
- Suhavivāga (सुहविवाग): Deals with the fruits of good actions.
Narrative Style: Each part is illustrated by ten narratives. Each narrative details two human lives of a particular person, their subsequent wanderings in the cycle of rebirth (samsara), and ultimately, their attainment of liberation (moksha). This aligns with the Jain belief that all souls (bhavya) are destined to achieve liberation eventually.
Content Focus: Bad actions are characterized as disobedience or disregard for Jain ethical rules, while good actions are their observance.

Key Narratives Summarized in the Introduction:

The introduction provides summaries of the first ten narratives from the Duhavivāga section, illustrating the consequences of negative karma:

Miyaputta (मियापुत्ते): A prince, born deformed, deaf, and dumb, resembling a lump of flesh. His miseries were due to his past life as an impious district officer who oppressed people. His future transmigration includes various animal species and eventual liberation.
Ujjhiyaa (उज्झियए): Born as the son of a merchant, abandoned and led to a life of vice. His past life was as a hunter who caused terror to cattle. His future includes further transmigrations and eventual liberation.
Abhaggasena (अभग्गसेणे): Born as the son of a robber chief, he continued his father's criminal activities. His past life was as an egg-dealer who caused harm through his trade. His future involves transmigrations through lower species and eventual liberation.
Sagada (सगडे): Born to parents who lost their children, he fell into bad company. His past life was as a shepherd who killed and sold animals for meat. His future includes births as twins and eventual liberation.
Bahassaidatta (बहस्सइदत्ते): Born as a king's family priest, he engaged in illicit intimacy with the queen. His past life was as a family priest who offered human sacrifices. His future migrations lead to eventual liberation.
Nandivaddhana (नन्दिवद्धणे) / Nandisena (नन्दिसेणे): A prince who conspired to kill his father. His past life was as a jailor who tortured prisoners. His future migrations are similar to Miyaputta's, leading to liberation.
Umbaradatta (उम्बरदत्ते): Born to a merchant's wife seeking a son from a Yaksha, he suffered from severe diseases. His past life was as a physician who prescribed meat and ate it himself. His future transmigrations are similar to Miyaputta's, leading to liberation.
Shoriyadatta (सोरियदत्ते): Born to a fisherman, he became the chief fisherman. His past life was as a cook who employed hunters and fishermen to kill animals for public consumption. His future transmigrations lead to liberation.
Devadatta (देवदत्ता): A princess who killed her mother-in-law. Her past life was as a queen who, along with her daughters, was burned alive due to a conspiracy. Her future transmigrations are similar to Miyaputta's, leading to liberation.
Anju (अजू): Born as a king's wife who suffered from a vaginal ailment. Her past life was as a courtesan who influenced many important people. Her future transmigrations are similar to Devadatta's, leading to liberation.

The introduction notes that even these wicked individuals attained liberation, which is explained by the Jain metaphysical belief that every soul is destined for liberation. Human life is precious and should be used to reduce the duration of samsara through virtuous living.

The Suhavivāga Section:

The second part of the work contains ten narratives about righteous lives.
Only the first narrative is given in full, with the rest in outline.
Subahu (सुबाहू): Born as a prince to a righteous king, he listened to Mahavira's sermon and took vows. His previous life was as a householder who offered pure alms to a monk, reducing his cycle of rebirth and ensuring he would always be born as a human. His future includes becoming a monk and eventually attaining liberation.
The remaining narratives in this section are stated to be similar to Subahu's story, with only the names of people and places changing.

Editorial Notes and Scope:

The book is revised for university students, making it accessible with a glossary and notes.
Dr. Vaidya notes that earlier editions were not suitable for academic purposes and were out of print.
The edition is based on printed editions, the commentary of Abhayadeva, and manuscripts from the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.
The Varnaka-adi-vistaraha (वर्णकादिविस्तारः) section provides detailed explanations of recurring phrases and descriptions, often referencing other Jain texts like the Uvasagadasao, Nirayavalio, etc., for brevity. This appendix is crucial for understanding the full context of certain passages.
The Shabdkoshaha (शब्दकोशः) is an extensive glossary of Prakrit words with their Sanskrit equivalents and meanings, crucial for students of the language.

Significance of the Vivāgasuya:

This text is a foundational work in Jainism, providing detailed explanations of the law of karma and its transmigration across multiple lifetimes. It emphasizes the cyclical nature of existence and the ultimate goal of liberation through righteous conduct. The narrative structure makes the abstract concepts of karma and rebirth relatable and illustrative.