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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 :-
- Illustrated STHANANGA SUTRAM in 2 volumes, (Prakrit - Hindi - English), Ed. by Pravartaka Amar Muni, Eng. tr. by Surendra Bothra
Foot Notes
- G G Joseph, The crest of the peacock (London, 1991)
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| Fourteen Purvas (The Prior Knowledge – considered totally lost) | ||||||||||||||||
| Śvetāmbara Canonical Texts |
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| Digambara Texts |
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| † Tattvartha Sutra is accepted by both Digambara and Śvetāmbara as their texts, although Śvetāmbaras do not include it under canonical texts. | ||||||||||||||||