Misplaced Pages

Sthananga Sutra

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Indian Chronicles (talk | contribs) at 12:30, 9 June 2007 (moved Sthanagnga Sutra to Sthananga Sutra: Wrong Spelling). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Revision as of 12:30, 9 June 2007 by Indian Chronicles (talk | contribs) (moved Sthanagnga Sutra to Sthananga Sutra: Wrong Spelling)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Part of a series on
Jainism
Philosophy
EthicsEthics of Jainism
Mahavratas (major vows)
Anuvratas (further vows)
Jain prayers
Major figures
Major sectsSchools and Branches
Jain literature
Festivals
PilgrimagesTirth
Other

Introduction

As per the Svetambara belief, Sthananga Sutra forms part of the first eleven Angas of the Jaina Canon which have survived despite the bad effects of this Hundavasarpini kala. This is the reason why, under the leadership of Devardhigani Ksamasramana, the eleven Angas of the Svetambara canon were formalised and reduced to writing. This took place at Valabhi 993 years after Mahavira's nirvana. (466 CE). In the vacana held at Valabhi, in Gujarat, the Sthananga Sutra was finalised and redacted. The language used is Ardhamagadhi Prakrit. The mula sutras of the Sthananga Sutra are difficult to understand without the help of a commentary or tika. Hence, in the 11th century CE, Abhayadevasuri wrote a comprehensive Sanskrit gloss on the Sthananga Sutra.

Description

The Sthananga Sutra is known in Prakrit as the Thanam. The word thanam denotes quantum. Hence, the style of the Sthananga Sutra is unique. It is divided into ten chapters, and each chapter enumerates certain topics according to their numbers. Each chapter is titled as a Thana. (Sanskrit: Sthana) This agam defines and catalogues the main substances of the Jain metaphysics. Diverse topics such as the Dharmakathanuyoga, Carananuyoga, Karananuyoga and Dravyanuyoga are covered. While the focus is on Karananuyoga, this unique Agama serves as a huge anthology to all branches of Jaina knowledge.

Contribution to Indian Mathematics

Sthananga Sutra lists the topics which made up the mathematics studied at the ftrom the time of 2nd century BCE onwards. In fact this list of topics sets the scene for the areas of study for a long time to come in the Indian subcontinent. The topics are listed in as .:- the theory of numbers, arithmetical operations, geometry, operations with fractions, simple equations, cubic equations, quartic equations, and permutations and combinations. It also gives classifications of five types of infinities.

The topics of mathematics, according to the Sthananga-sutra (sutra 747) are ten in numbers:

  • Parikarma (four fundamental operations),
  • Vyavahara (subjects of treatment),
  • Rajju (geometry),
  • Rashi (mensuration of solid bodies),
  • Kalasavarna (fractions),
  • Yavat-tavat (simple equation),
  • Varga (quadratic equation),
  • Ghana (cubic equation),
  • Varga-varga (biquadratic equation) and
  • Vikalpa (permutation and combination).

However, the historians of mathematics differ in explaining some of the terms from the commentator, Abhayadeva Suri (1050 AD).

English Translations

Popular English Translations are  :-

  1. Illustrated STHANANGA SUTRAM in 2 volumes, (Prakrit - Hindi - English), Ed. by Pravartaka Amar Muni, Eng. tr. by Surendra Bothra

Foot Notes

  1. G G Joseph, The crest of the peacock (London, 1991)
Categories: