1. Four Anuyogs to Understand Jain Religion
Pravin K. Shah
JAINA Education Committee
509 Carriage Woods Circle
Raleigh NC
Web - -
Tele

2. Four Anuyogs to Understand Jain Religion
Introduction:
Lord Mahavir preached Jainism directly to the common people using common people’s language.
After his Nirvan, his preaching of Jain philosophy, ethics, conduct, and spirituality are compiled in the Sutra form in the scriptures known as 11/12 Ang Agams.
The Agam sutras also reflected the culture, morality, and knowledge base that existed among the common people of that time.
These religion sutras can be grouped into the four classes known as Anuyogs (Category of Explanation)
The knowledge, purpose, and limitation of each Anuyog is most essential for a clear understanding of Jain literature and its principles. Otherwise many meaningless misgivings will crop up in your mind about the Jain principles and its conduct.

3. Four Anuyogs to Understand Jain Religion
Four Anuyogs are:
1. Prathamanuyoga or Kathanuyog
Literature relating to stories, information, fables, art, history, sculpture, fiction, and mythology
2. Charananuyoga or Charan-karananuyog
Literature relating to principles of conduct and observances, the method of living; and the way of life in this world.
3. Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Literature relating to mathematics, universe (loka), geography, rivers, mountains, Karma classification, and Gunasthanak.
Dravyanuyoga (Dravya means "substance" or "existent")
It includes six universal substances and nine or seven tattvas. This knowledge is most essential for a clear understanding of the Jain religion and its principles. The specific attention is given to the soul and its impurities and impure souls relationship with karma and determination.

4. Prathamanuyoga or Kathanuyog
It contains biographies of the Tirthankars and other well known personalities (Shalaka Purush), Moral stories which explain certain Jain principles.
Through stories, Jain literature forms the basis of religious teaching to the layperson.
Good deeds are being rewarded and bad deeds are being punished in the future by the same person.
It used both historical and imaginary characters in the stories.
It consists mainly mythology and some history because the primary purpose of any story is to convey the message of moral living not to preserve the history (Eastern religions never preserved the history in the past).

5. Prathamanuyoga or Kathanuyog
Stories explain Certain Jain Principles
A person took a vow “not to eat or drink at night”. However, under certain circumstances he could not keep the vow and drank a glass of water at night. After death, he went to hell because he broke the vow.
In another story, a non-vegetarian person took a vow not to eat meat of a bird. He continued to eat all other types of meat daily and never broke his vow. After his death, he went to heaven because he did not break his vow of not eating the birds’ meat.
From overall Jain philosophy point of view, one can conclude that these are wrong stories. First person lived a self-controlled life but break the vow once and he went to hell, while the second person ate meat (except bird’s meat) all his life and yet went to heaven.
However, Jain Literature wanted to explain the importance and significance of Vow and not the overall life conduct of the individuals in these stories. Then the stories are very appropriate. It conveys the message that if one breaks the vow, one commits the sin and if one does not break it one acquires some virtues.

6. Prathamanuyoga or Kathanuyog
Literature
Svetambar Agams such as
Jnatadharmakatha, Anuttaropapatikadasa, Vipaka, Nirvayavalika, Antakrddasa and
Trisastishalakapurush of Hemacandra (12th century)
Digambar Literature
Padma puran, Harivansha puran, Trishashtilakshana, Maha and
Adipurana of Jinasena (8th century) and Uttara purana of Gunabhadra (9th century)

7. Charananuyoga or Charan-karananuyog
Ethical theories and observances.
Development and perfection of conduct
Principles of conduct and observance, the method of living; and the way of life in this world
Heavily oriented towards tapas (austerities), Ritualized confession (Samayik, Pratikramana) and Temple/Sthanak rituals (Tirthankar’s Stuti, Puja, Pujan and Guru Bhakti)

8. Charananuyoga or Charan-karananuyog
Literature
Acharanga; Nishitha; Yogasataka, Yogabindu, Yogadrstisamuccaya, and Dharrnabindu of Haribhadra (8th century), Yogasastra of Hemacandra (12th century).
Dharma Samgraha; Shraddha-vidhi; Achar-Pradip;
Vattakera's Mulachara, and Trivarnachara; and
Samantabhadra's Ratnakaranda Shravakachara (5th Century), Sravakacara of Amitagati (11th century) and the Purusartha-siddhyupaya of Amrtacandra (12th century).

9. Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Literature which contains the information about
Mathematics, geography, astronomy, astrology etc.
Nature of the universe and its dimensions. Location of Heaven, Hell, Moksha, Mount Meru
Living places and their life span of heavenly gods, human, animals, people in the hell
Concept of Time Cycle
Classification of Karma
Explanation of Gunasthanak with reference to Karma

10. Message of Karananuyoga
Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Message of Karananuyoga
The Jain literature indicates that the human personality is such that, “It possesses limitless desire. His attitude in the life is such that he wants to possess and rule every thing and every one. He has a very ego centered personality.”
To help to overcome such personality, Jain literature used the knowledge base of the universe known to the common people and the Jain philosophy explained that:
“In such a vast universe, our existence is like a drop of water in the ocean. This vast universe functions on its own rule. The time of our life span is just like a fraction of second compare to infinite time cycle of the existence of the universe. So “limit your desire and remove your ego”.

11. Message of Karananuyoga
Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Message of Karananuyoga
In other words
Mahavir used the knowledge base of universe that existed at that time which people can relate to it easily.
He explained that, look at the size and structure of the universe and the power of existence. Your action in the areas of controlling and changing other objects has no impact to this vast universe.
By doing so only you will become miserable by your own action. So one should thrive to limit one’s desire and get rid of one’s own ego (karta bhav).

12. Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Literature
Surya prajnapti,
Chandra prajnapti, and
Jayadhavala
Tniokaprajnapti (7th century), Trilokasara (11th century), Jambudveep prajnapti (13th century)

13. Dravyanuyog (Metaphysics)
Dravya means "substance" or "existent."
souls (jiva), material atoms (pudgala), the principle of motion (dharma dravya), the principle of rest (adharma- dravya), space (akasa), and time (kala)
Nine Tattvas which cover the entire field of metaphysical theories of Jainism.
Soul (Jiva), Ajiv, Äsrava, Bandha, Punya*, Päp*, Samvar, Nirjarä, Moksha
It includes every essential aspect of Jain philosophy, epistemology (which studies the nature of knowledge, justification, and the rationality of belief), psychology.
The specific attention is given to the soul (its pure and impure state) and present time or current moment (not past or future).

14. Dravyanuyog Literature
Sthanang Sutra; Lok Prakash: Prajnapana Sutra; Tatvartha; Mahashastra; Visheshavashyak Bhashya etc
Philosophical works of Kunda kunda,
Umasvami's 'Tattvarthadhigama sutra, and
Samantabhadra's Aptamimansa.

15. Summary 1. Prathamanuyoga or Kathanuyog
Many stories are mythology and not historical. Some stories use historical character and mixed with mythology. Hence one should not use any story to dervive the Jain principle.
2. Charananuyoga or Charan-karananuyog
The reword and punishment described in the Charananuyog sutras are to motivate us to live a life with a limited need and desire. In reality, any religion practice done in order to gain some thing (with greed) and to avoid suffering (fear) due to karma is wrong.

16. Summary Karananuyoga or Ganitanuyog
Jain geography indicates Earth is flat, not moving, Sun is closer to Earth than the Moon, Mahavideh area is connected with land to Bharat area and many more.
Mahavir was a spiritual teacher and not a teacher of geography. He used the current knowledge of the Universe existed at that time and explained the Jain priciple that in this vast universe your existance is not even a dot on the map. Your life is not a fraction of a second and hence you do not be power hungry or Egoistic.
Dravyanuyoga
Dravya means "substance" or "existent”. Its sutras consist the real Jain philosophy, conduct, and path of liberation. It indicates our Mithyatva and Kashay (impurities of the soul) are the real cause of our suffering. Eliminating these impurities, soul will attain liberation.