Earliest Portions of the Daśavaikālika‑sūtra
By M. A. Dhaky
Summary
This article examines the oldest sections of the Daśavaikālika‑sūtra, a key text in the Śvetāmbara Jain canon. The author scrutinises manuscript variants, metre and linguistic features to reconstruct the earliest strata of the work. The study shows that the oldest verses focus on monastic discipline, emphasising punctuality in rituals, respect for teachers and rules for wandering monks. Linguistic analysis reveals a mixture of Ardhamāgadhī and Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit, suggesting layers of composition and oral transmission. By comparing commentaries by Śīlāṅka, Haribhadra and later scholars, the article identifies additions that reflect changing social contexts and doctrinal clarifications. The author also explores parallels with Pāli Buddhist Vinaya texts and Brahmanical literature, indicating a shared ascetic vocabulary across early Indian traditions. The findings show that the earliest portions of the Daśavaikālika‑sūtra were composed to provide concise guidelines for new monks and later expanded to address doctrinal disputes and ethical dilemmas. This layered approach helps explain the text’s enduring authority within Jain monastic culture.
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Conclusion
By dissecting the Daśavaikālika‑sūtra into chronological layers, the author clarifies how Jain monastic regulations evolved. The earliest core emphasises discipline and simplicity, while later layers reflect doctrinal debates. Understanding this evolution enriches our grasp of Jain textual history and ascetic ideals.