Classification of the Jain Literature

By Amit Prakash Jain

Many a times we think that there are a number of types of various granths (religious books), & sometimes the topics covered in them are so different from one another that it is not easy for us to believe that these all granths are directing us to the same goal that is "swabhav" or the "dharam".

But, to make it easy there is a classification of the anuyogs or the granths.
The classification is :-

1- Prathmanuyog:- now as the name says it is 'pratham' or the 1st i.e. the'initial' anuyog.
It is initial as it is for the beginners.Here we include the various jain puranas like-
-Padmapuran
-Harivamshpuran
-Mahaveerpuran
-Adipuran etc

Now, in these granths there are stories pf the tirthankaras & other shalaka purush(some special persons).

By the stories of their lives the reader learns the dharma , this help in developing the right faith i.e. the samyakdarshan.

It is noteworthy to mention here that while the Padmapuran contains the jain-Ramayana, the Harivanshpuran has the stories of Shree Krishna.

Stories are simple & attractive for the beginners.The reader learns for eg., from the Padmapuran that even great person like lord Rama & Devi Sita had to face the sorrows due to karmoday. In the same way it gives a message to the reader that this world is 'asaar' or meaningless & the real sukh is there in the salvation.

2-Charnanuyog:- this group of the granths deals with the description of the charitras or the conduct of vthe shraavaks & the munis.

Ratnakrandshravakaachar written by Shree Samantbhadraacharyaji some 2000yrs back is the prototype of the charananuyog granths.

In this granth the aacharya has given the examples pf the good shraavaks to those munis who have distracted from the samyakdarashan & he has given examples of the samyakdrishti animals to the shravaks who have distracted from the samyakdarashan
Yes, I am correct- jainism believes that even an animal can have samyakdarshan.

3-Karnanuyog:- this group deals with the Jain-geography & mathematics.
It explains about the gunsthaans and the margnasthans, jeevdasha etc.
These topics are certainly not for the beginners & so we find that these granths are studied by the scholars & munis etc

The ultimate aim of the granths is also to lead to "swabhav" i.e. dharma

Examples of this group's granths are:-

Shree Shathkhandaagam, Chhapnasaar, Gommatsaar, Labdhisaar etc

4- Dravyanuyog:- this is the group of the graths which states directly the swabhav (the essence of dharma) of the six dravyas (substances) & primarily that of the jeeva-dravya.
It is 'direct' because what ever it is explaining is the ultimate aims of the other above 3 groups that is to say that "vastu swabhavo iti khalu dhammo"- the nature of the substance is its dharma.

This group includes:-

Samaysaar, Pravachansaar, Panchaastikaay .ASthpahud & the Panchaastikaay.
The above mentioned 5 granths are called as the 'Panch parmaagams' written by Aacharya Shree Kundkund bhagwaan, some 2000yrs back in the prakrit languag.
I must mention here that the paramagams were written by Kundkundaacharya dev after listening to the divya-dhoni of the Kevali Shree Srimandhar Swmi Bhagwan at Videhkshetra..

There are hundred and one definitions of the dharma in jainism but all means the same & ultimately all the granths leads to swabhav which is dharma.

" I am jeev dravya,gyan is my gunn (quality) & 'to know' is my 'paryay'"- this is the essence of all these anuyogs.

In the end as always said by our respected Shreepalanji , I would say that the wrong is mine & the truth is that of the kevali's
Jai jinendra