Sacred Literature of the Jains

Summary

The article "Sacred Literature of the Jains" by the German Indologist Albrecht F. Weber is a detailed philological investigation of the structure and transmission of the early canonical texts of the Jaina tradition. Weber begins by referring back to an earlier discussion in a previous issue and resumes his examination of the group of texts collectively known as the chedasūtras or calpas which prescribe rules of conduct and monastic discipline. He analyses passages in the Āvaśyaka‑niryukti and other canonical commentaries to show that the original Mahākappaṅa was only one member of a larger group of seven chedasūtra texts. By comparing lists found in the Nandī, the Pākṣikasūtra and various samācārī, he reconstructs the early sequence of these chedasūtras as dasāśruta, kappassa and vavahārassa and notes that the lists sometimes include additional texts such as nisīha and mahāniśhīha. Weber notes that the title “cheasutra” itself is not found in some of the canonical enumerations and that the Mahākappasuam is sometimes placed separately, which suggests that early redactors did not regard it as part of the chief chedasūtra group. He then surveys later Prakrit commentaries known as bhāṣya and cūrṇi, pointing out that their language shows signs of a later age and that they tend to expand the material in gāthā verses. Weber reproduces in translation several sections of these commentaries, compares them to modern lists in works such as the Ratnasāgara and draws attention to inconsistencies in the sequence and number of chedasūtras given by different traditions. He suggests that the series was never fixed and that the order varied between four and seven members. Throughout the article Weber carefully distinguishes between texts that are considered ancient, such as the Nishīta and Dasāśruta, and those, like the Mahāniśhīha, which he believes to be younger compilations. He also discusses the relationship of the chedasūtras to other categories of Jaina sacred texts, such as the Āgamas and the Śrīdhantadharmas, and evaluates their antiquity based on references in the Nandī, the Uttarādhyayana and the later scholastic tradition. The article is rich in references, philological notes and cross‑references to earlier pages of Weber’s work, and it aims to trace the historical development of the monastic legal texts and to clarify their place within the broader canon. He emphasises that variations in enumeration reveal the dynamic transmission of oral and written texts in the Jain tradition and that the canonical lists were subject to regional and sectarian differences. By tracing the philological evidence he not only reconstructs the history of these texts but also provides insight into how Jain monks preserved and taught their sacred law codes. The study thus situates the chedasūtras within the larger context of Indian legal literature and underscores their importance for understanding early Jain monasticism and its interaction with other religious traditions.