Jain Literature

Jain literature is classified into two major categories:

Agam Literature (Agam Sutras)

Agam literature consists of many texts, which are the sacred books of the Jain religion. They are written in the Ardha-magadhi Prakrit language.

Non-agam Literature

Non-agam literature consists of commentary and explanation of Agam literature, and independent works, compiled by ascetics and scholars. They are written in many languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsa, Old Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannad, Tamil, German, and English.

Lord Mahavir's preaching was orally compiled by his disciples into many Sutras (texts). Collectively these texts are called Jain canonical or Agam literature. Traditionally these sutras were orally pass on from teachers (acharyas or gurus) to the disciples for several centuries. Also, during the course of time many learned acharyas (elder monks) compiled commentaries on the various subjects of the Agam literature. In olden times, the books were hand-written and rare. Also the religious books and scriptures were considered possessions and attachments for ascetics. Therefore Agam sutras were rarely documented and not widely distributed for or by ascetics.

During the course of time, it became extremely difficult to keep memorizing the entire Jain literature (Agam sutras and Commentary literature) compiled by the many scholars of the past and present. Also there occurred a twelve years of famine around 350 BC. It was extremely difficult for the Jain ascetics to survive during this time. Under such circumstances they could not preserve the entire canonical literature. In fact, a significant number of Agam sutras were already forgotten and lost after the famine.

Later, when the Jain congregation relaxed the vow of non-possession with regards to religious scriptures for ascetics, they had already forgotten much of the oldest canonical literature such as fourteen Purva Agams and the rest were polluted with modifications and errors.

The Digambar Jain sect maintains that after the famine, the entire Jain canonical literature (Agam Sutras) became extinct. However the Swetambar sect believes that only fourteen Purvas were forgotten but the significant portion of the remaining Agam Sutras were preserved by them and hence they decided to document the Agam Sutras (canonical literature) as remembered by them at various time.

Jain history indicates that during the course of time, Swetambar ascetics held three conferences; at Patli-putra 320 B.C., at Mathura and Valabhi 380 A.D., and at Valabhi 520 A.D. for the preservation of the Jain canonical and other literature. Most of the documention occured during 2nd and 3rd conferences.

Around 1500 A.D., the Swetambar sect also divided into three subsects known as Swetambar Murtipujak, Sthanakvasi, and Terapanthi. Differences also exist among all three Swetambar Jain sects in their acceptance of the validity of the documented Jain scriptures (Agam Sutras) and literature.

Jain Literature

Jain literature is classified into two major categories:

Agam Literature (Agam Sutras)

Agam literature consists of many texts, which are the sacred books of the Jain religion. They are written in the Ardha-magadhi Prakrit language.

Non-agam Literature

Non-agam literature consists of commentary and explanation of Agam literature, and independent works, compiled by ascetics and scholars. They are written in many languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsa, Old Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannad, Tamil, German, and English.

Agam Literature:

Lord Mahavir's preaching was methodically compiled by his immediate disciples known as Gandharas, and elder monks known as Srut-kevalis into many texts known as Sutras. These Sutras are collectively known as Agams or Agam Sutras, the sacred books of the Jain religion. Hence, the Jain religion does not have one sacred book like the Bible or Koran, but it has many books compiled by several Gandharas and Srut-kevalis.

Agam literature is also divided into two groups:

Ang-agams or Ang-pravista-agams

Ang-bahya-agams (outside of Ang-agams)

Ang-agams or Ang-pravista-agams:

Lord Mahavir's immediate disciples were known as Ganadharas. All Ganadharas possessed perfect knowledge (keval-jnan) and attained liberation at the end of their human life. They orally compiled the direct preaching of Lord Mahavir into twelve main texts (sutras). These texts are known as Ang-agams. Hence the Ang-agams are the oldest religious scriptures and the back bone of Jain literature.

The twelfth Ang-agam is called Drastivad. The Drastivad consists of fourteen Purva texts, also known as Purvas or Purva-agams. Among Ang-agams, Purvas were the oldest sacred texts. All Jain sects believe that knowledge of the Purvas (Drastivad) were gradually lost starting about one hundred fifty years after Lord Mahavir's nirvan (death). However, the subject matter of the Purvas are referenced by other Jain scriptures and literature.

The Digambar Jain sect also believes that the remaining eleven Ang-agams were gradually lost. All Swetambar Jains believe that the original intent and proper meaning of the eleven Ang-agams survived and were properly documented by elder monks (Acharyas) during the three conferences that were held by Swetambar ascetics in the past.

Present Status

Number of Number of Number of

Sects Ang-agams Ang-agams Ang-agams

Accepted Available Lost

Digambar 12 0 12

Swetambar Murtipujak 12 11 1

Swetambar Sthanakvasi 12 11 1

Swetambar Terapanthi 12 11 1

Ang-bahya-agams (outside of Ang-agams):

Monks who had knowledge of a minimum of ten Purvas were known as Srut-kevlis. They possessed the total knowledge of the Ang-agams. The Srut-kevlis wrote many texts (sutras) expanding the subject matter of the Ang-agams. Collectively these texts are called Ang-bahya-agams meaning outside of Ang-agams.

The different Jain sects accept different numbers of Ang-bahya texts. However the Digambar sect believes that they were also gradually lost starting about two hundred years after Lord Mahavir's Nirvan.

Present Status

Number of Number of Number of

Ang-bhya-agams Ang-bhya-agams Ang-bhya-

Accepted Available Lost

Digambar 14 0 14

Swetambar Murtipujak 34 34 0

Swetambar Sthanakvasi 21 21 0

Swetambar Terapanthi 21 21 0