Jaina Sutras: Part I & II (Forgotten Books) [Paperback]

Hermann Georg Jacobi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2008

Book Description:

"This volume includes the Akaranga and Kalpa Sutras, two of the most important Jain sacred texts.

The Akaranga Sutra outlines rules for Jain monks. Most notably it describes steps which monks must take to avoid harming other living beings, including the microscopic life forms which the ancient Jains believed pervaded the universe. The Kalpa sutra contains a biography of the founder of Jainism, Mahavira, as well as other founders of the religion, and a list of the successive Jain leaders.

As is the practice at this site, the typography of the original has been preserved as far as possible. This means that italics are used to indicate distinctions between consonants in transliterated Sanskrit and Prakrit. The system used is documented on the charts attached to the Sacred Books of the East page. Most notably in this system, 'j' (roughly, the initial sound of the English word 'jam') is written g, hence the spelling Gain throughout, which is pronounced 'Jain.' This book is normally cited as 'Jaina Sutras' in modern publications and bibliographies. " (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

Table of Contents:

Publisher's Preface; Part I.; Introduction; ÂkÂrÂga SÛtra; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 1 ; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 2 ; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 3 ; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 5 ; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 6; Book I, Lecture 1, Lesson 7; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 5; Book I, Lecture 2, Lesson 6; Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 3, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 4, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 4, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 4, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 4, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 5; Book I, Lecture 5, Lesson 6; Book I. Lecture 6, Lesson 1 ; Book I, Lecture 6, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 6, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 6, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 6, Lesson 5; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 4; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 5; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 6; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 7; Book I, Lecture 7, Lesson 8; Book I, Lecture 8, Lesson 1; Book I, Lecture 8, Lesson 2; Book I, Lecture 8, Lesson 3; Book I, Lecture 8, Lesson 4; Book ii, Lecture 1 , Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 3; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 4; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 5; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 6; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 7; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 8; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 9; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 10; Book ii, Lecture 1, Lesson 11; Book ii, Lecture 2, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 2, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 2, Lesson 3; Book ii, Lecture 3, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 3, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 3, Lesson 3; Book ii, Lecture 4, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 4, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 5, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 5, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 6, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 5, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 7, Lesson 1 ; Book ii, Lecture 7, Lesson 2; Book ii, Lecture 8 ; Book ii, Lecture 9 ; Book ii, Lecture 10 ; Book ii, Lecture 11 ; Book ii, Lecture 12; Book ii, Lecture 13; Book ii, Lecture 14; Book ii, Lecture 15 ; Book ii, Lecture 16; The Kalpa SÛtra; Life Of MahÂvÎra, Lecture 1; Life Of MahÂvÎra, Lecture 2; Life Of MahÂvÎra, Lecture 3; Life Of MahÂvÎra, Lecture 4; Life Of MahÂvÎra, Lecture 5; Life Of PÂrsva; Life Of Arishtanemi; Epochs Of The Intermediate TÎrthakaras; Life Of Rishabha; List Of The Sthaviras; Rules For Yatis ; Part ii.; Introduction; UttarÂdhyayana; First Lecture. On Discipline; Second Lecture. On Troubles ; Third Lecture. The Four Requ

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

About the Author:

"Hermann Georg Jacobi (1 February 1850 - 19 October 1937) was an eminent German Indologist.

Jacobi was born in Koln on 1 February 1850. After leaving school he went to Berlin, where initially he studied mathematics, but later, probably under the influence of Albrecht Weber, switched to Sanskrit and comparative linguistics. He, however, obtained his Doctorate from Bonn. The subject of his thesis, written in 1872, was the origin of the term "hora" in Indian astrology.

Jacobi was able to visit London in 1873, where he examined the Indian manuscripts available there. The next year, with Georg Buehler, he visited Rajasthan, India, where manuscripts were being collected. At Jaisalmer Library, he came across Jain Manuscripts, which were of abiding interest to him for the rest of his life. He later edited and translated many of them, both into German and English, including those for Max Mueller's Sacred Books of the East.

Apart from Jaina studies, Jacobi was interested in Indian mathematics, astrology and the Natural Sciences, and using astronomical information available in the Vedas, he tried to establish the date of their composition. Like Alexander Cunningham before him he tried to systematise how, from the evidence available in inscriptions, a true local time could be arrived at.

In his later life, Jacobi interested himself in Poetry, Epics and Philosophy, particularly the school of Nyaya-Vaisheshika. As far as his formal academic career was concerned, Jacobi qualified as a Professor in 1875, becoming associate professor at the University of Münster in 1876 and a full professor at Kiel in 1885. He finally moved to his home town of Koln in 1889, where he served as a professor until his retirement in 1922. Among the honours he received were a doctorate from the University of Calcutta where he had gone in the winter of 1913-14 to lecture on poetics, while the Jain community conferred the title JAINA DARSANA DIVAKAR - Sun of the Jain doctrine upon him. Even after his retirement, Jacobi remained active, lecturing and writing till his death in 1937." (Quote from wikipedia.org)

Product Details

• Paperback: 674 pages
• Publisher: Forgotten Books (February 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160506727X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605067278
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Eastern Religions > Jainism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mahavira, September 10, 2008

By 

Fixedpoint - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaina Sutras: Part I & II (Forgotten Books) (Paperback)

This is an amazing book. Translated by a German academic from Prakrit, an Indian dialect, into English. First published in 1884 and now a classic. If you are interested in the teachings of Mahavira, a contemporary of Buddha, then this book gives you a firm basis. That the Jains, a fairly small community, have preserved these teachings for more than 2500 years is astonishing. You will find the well-known "non-killing" (ahimsa), the multidimensionality of truth (anekanta), and sayings like "You are your own friend, why do you wish for another friend." in the book. The book emphasizes self-reliance and will therefore appeal to the middle classes. The time of Mahavira must have been a time of prosperity in India.
One should note that Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) was a Jain (Taranpanthi Jain). The roots of his teachings and the reason for the encyclopaedic treatment of the philosophical teachings of the world can be found in the Jaina Sutras.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation; great detail, November 12, 2009

By 

Vinit M. Doshi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jaina Sutras: Part I & II (Forgotten Books) (Paperback)

The book provides detailed background from a historical perspective. Very well written, organized, structured. The translator is very careful to translate things in a very objective way.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the original Jain works.

My only minor annoyance is his decision to spell Jain with a "G" (Gainas)!