The Earliest Portions of Daśavaikālika‑sūtra
By M. A. Dhaky
Summary
M. A. Dhaky's article analyzes the Dasavaikālikasūtra, an Āriga-bāhya work of the Śvetāmbara Ardhamāgadhī canon, traditionally ascribed to Ārya Sayyambhava (c. 370-340 BCE), third patriarch after Sudharmā and father of the boy-friar Maṇaka for whom it was composed. The tradition, corroborated by the Sthavirāvalī (c. 100 CE) naming him Maṇaka-pitā, enables stylistic identification of authentic portions suited to a novice: Chapter 1 (Draumilapuggalīya, 5 verses on discreet alms-begging via flower-bee metaphor, opening with Dhammaṃ maṅgalaṃ mukkaṃ) and select Chapter 2 verses (initial verse paralleling Pāli Saṃyuktānikāya 1.2-7; verses 6-10, borrowed in Uttarādhyayana 22). The text's ten chapters exhibit heterogeneous styles, meters, and strata (c. 3rd cent. BCE-1st cent. CE), with later substitutions for lost originals, as evidenced by pre-Kuṣāṇa citations (e.g., Yapaniya commentaries) and synods (Mathurā c. 363 CE; Valabhī I mid-4th cent.; II 503-516 CE). Chapter analyses reveal interpolations: Ch. 3 (Kuśīlacāra) mixes Mauryan (vv. 1, 10-15) and later verses; Ch. 4 (Sajjīvanikāya) has prose from Pratikramaṇasūtra/Ācārāṅga II and five verse-laminae, only vv. 30-31 authentic (paralleling Buddhist Itivutta); Ch. 5 (Piṇḍaiṣaṇā) rejects non-vegetarian verses (104, 115) violating ahiṃsā; remaining chapters (6-10) and appendices (Rativākyacūlikā, Viviktacaryā by nun Yaksī, sister of Sthūlabhadra) address advanced monastics (c. 2nd-1st cent. BCE).
Conclusion
The Dasavaikālikasūtra is a composite canonical text whose earliest authentic portions can be confidently attributed to Ārya Sayyambhava in the 4th century BCE, composed for his young novice son Maṇaka. Subsequent chapters reflect layered redactions and interpolations spanning several centuries, addressing different monastic audiences and doctrinal needs. This complex textual evolution underscores the sutra’s centrality within early Śvetāmbara tradition while illustrating the dynamic nature of Jain canonical development over time.