Answer

In Jain tradition, the 12 Ang and 14 Purv are parts of the ancient Jain scriptural knowledge.

A simple way to understand them is:

• 12 Ang = the main limbs or major divisions of Lord Mahavir’s teachings as preserved by the Ganadhars.
• 14 Purv = very ancient and extremely deep knowledge that was contained within the 12th Ang, called Drashtivada.

Explanation

Think of the Jain scriptures like a great tree:

• The root is the teaching of the Tirthankar.
• The trunk and main branches are the 12 Ang.
• The deep hidden knowledge inside one major branch is the 14 Purv.

So, the 14 Purv are not separate from the Ang tradition; they are traditionally understood as being included in the 12th Ang, Drashtivada.

Simple Example

You can compare it to a large university syllabus:

• 12 Ang are like the main departments of knowledge.
• 14 Purv are like very advanced, deep research subjects inside one special department.

For example:

• A beginner may study basic ethics, vows, conduct, stories, and philosophy.
• An advanced scholar may study extremely subtle topics such as karma, soul, non-soul, cosmology, logic, and spiritual stages in great depth.

The 12 Ang guide many areas of Jain Dharma such as:

• Right conduct
• Spiritual discipline
• Stories and examples
• Questions and answers on doctrine
• Knowledge of karma and liberation

The 14 Purv represent much deeper and older knowledge, studied only by highly advanced monks with extraordinary memory and spiritual capacity.

Traditional Understanding

In Jain tradition:

• The complete knowledge of the 14 Purv gradually declined over time.
• A monk who knew all 14 Purv was called a Chaudah Purvi.
• The last Ang, Drashtivada, is considered lost in the present time by the Śvetāmbara tradition.
• Digambara tradition holds that the original Ang knowledge was lost earlier and does not accept the present Śvetāmbara Agams as the original complete canon.

Takeaway

The 12 Ang can be understood as the main body of Jain scriptural knowledge, while the 14 Purv are the deepest ancient knowledge contained within the 12th Ang, Drashtivada. They show the vastness and depth of Lord Mahavir’s teachings as preserved in Jain tradition.