Please explain dvadashang
Dvadashang (द्वादशाङ्ग) means the twelve limbs or parts of the Jain Āgama literature. These twelve Angas are the main canonical texts that originally compiled Lord Mahavira’s teachings through the Ganadharas. In short, Dvadashang = the twelve Angas.
Key points:
- The twelve Angas form the core structure of the Śvetāmbara Agamas. Among them, the first Anga is Ācārāṅga (Ayāranga Sūtra), and others cover rules, stories, philosophy, and conduct.
- In the Digambara tradition, it is held that the complete set of Angas was lost over time; what remains today is a part of the tradition’s later, supplementary works. The Śvetāmbara tradition preserves and studies the Anga texts as the original 12, though in practice only 11 are said to be available today in some accounts because the 12th is considered lost by many. This is noted in traditional accounts of how the Angas were compiled and later preserved or lost. ( jainworld.jainworld.com, jainknowledge.com)
The 12 Angas (names commonly cited in Jain traditions) include:
- Ācārāṅga Sūtra (Ayāranga Sutta)
- Sūtrakṛtāṅga Sūtra
- Sthānāṅga Sūtra
- Samavāyāṅga Sūtra
- Vyākhyā-prajñapti (Bhagavatī Sūtra)
- Jñāta-dharmakathāṅga Sūtra
- Upāsakadaśāṅga Sūtra
- Antakṛddaśāṅga Sūtra
- Anuttaraupapātika-daśāṅga Sūtra
- Praśna-vyākaraṇa Sūtra
- Vipāka Sūtra
- Dṛṣṭivāda (office name may appear in variants)
Arth (meaning) of the term:
- Dvadashang = “twelve limbs” of the Jain scriptures, i.e., the twelve main Angas that organize the teachings transmitted by Mahavira. Each Anga focuses on different aspects (conduct, doctrine, stories, philosophy, etc.) to guide practice and understanding.
Notes on tradition:
- Śvetāmbara: Traditionally accept the 11 Angas that survive today; the 12th is often described as lost in some narrations.
- Digambara: Hold that the original Angas were lost; later Digambara works and other texts carry forward the same spiritual aims.