Review: Materials for an Edition and Study of the Pinda- and Oha-Nijjuttis of the Svetambara Jain Tradition

This review discusses a volume edited by Willem B. Bollee titled "Materials for an Edition and Study of the Pinda- and Oha-Nijjuttis of the Svetambara Jain Tradition," published in 1991. The subject of the book is the Pinda-nijjutti and the Oha-nijjutti, which are texts canonized at the Council of Valabhi in the 5th century. However, they are not considered part of the old Siddhanta by Western Jainology. The main argument of the review is that this volume serves as a crucial tool to aid future scholarly studies of these Nijjuttis. The text explains that scholars find it very difficult to trace passages when these works are quoted by later writers because of a lack of carefully compiled indices. Scholars like Professor K. R. Norman have expressed the need for a complete pada index and a reverse index of the padas to facilitate easy location and identification of parallels. The volume lists, for the first time, the quarter stanzas (padas) of the two Nijjuttis dealing with the Jain ascetics’ daily alms-round and the transgressions they may incur. It facilitates comparison with other Nijjuttis of similar content, such as those belonging to the Avassaya, Ayaramga, and Dasaveyaliya. Dr. Bollee decided to work on these Mulasuttas because of the start made by Professor Mette and their thematic unity. The reviewer notes that Dr. Bollee has published such indices on other canonical works and has frankly admitted to small orthographical discrepancies remaining from the irregular intervals the slips were written, but the material will surely prove useful. The only peculiarity mentioned is that Bollee omitted the text-reference in his Reverse Pada Index, requiring the reader to refer to his Pada Index instead.

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