Religious background of Kuvalayamala

Author(s): A N Upadhye
Publisher: Z_Jinvijay_Muni_Abhinandan_Granth_012033.pdf
Catalog link: https://jainqq.org/explore/250273/1

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Religious Back-ground of the Kuvalayamala The importance of the great Prakrit Campu, namely, the Kuvalayamala of Uddyotanasuri (A, D. 779), caught the attention of Orientalists primarily through the researches of Muni Shri Jinavijayaji. Further, as the General Editor of the famous Singhi Jaina Series, he made all arrangements, almost with personal interest, for its inclusion and publication in that Series. It was critically edited by the present writer, and was published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhawana, Bombay, in 1959, as No. 45 of the above Series. The Sanskrit Digest of the Prakrit Campu by Ratnaprabhasuri was also issued as a Supplement. The Introductions etc. are ready and on way to the press. I could work on this great Campu only through the encouraging help of Muniji. and I contribute this paper on the religious aspects of that work as an humble tribute to the scholarly achievements of Muni Shri Jinavijayaji. Jainism is called Ethical Realism, and this brings out its salient traits to the fore. The theory of rebirth, the Karma theory which automatically operates, moral responsibility of the individual and allied doctrines were the characteristics of Sramanic culture; and they are all inherited in Jainism. The Jaina Karma doctrine is most uncompromising and undiluted : every one is responsible for, and can never escape without reaping the consequences of, his Karman: a sort of vibration operating through mind, speech and body as a result of which the soul incurs material Karmic bondage. Thus the Jaina teachers, therefore, have evolved philosophy of conduct and pattern of behaviour unin. fluenced by any reliance on Supernatural intervention or guidance. First, the individual is made highly self-reliant, and the Teacher leaves no opportunity to put him on the right track of religion. The erring soul is shown the correct path through religious instruction. Secondly, the Kuvalayamala is primarily a Dharmakatha, if it is called, and has become, Samkirnakatha, it is because the author has incidentally added contexts and topics of Artha and Kama; and even these, in the long run, are conducive to the practice of Dharma. In this pattern of narration, the various facets of Dharmakatha are as well included. Thirdly, the very objective of the tale is to illustrate the effects of morbid temper, i.e., of Krodha, Mana, Maya, Lobha and Moha under the sway of which are acting the chief characters in this story. If they are to be brought on the right track, religious instruction is the most effective remedy. Lastly, moral instruction is the chief aim of the author, and the entire tale is narrated in such a manner that the erring man and woman should learn the pattern of good behaviour by seeing and hearing what is happening to the characters under various circumstances. Tho www.jainelibrary:ope

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Prof. Dr. A. N. Upadhye Sramanic teacher is an adept in this art. The result is that the Kuvalayamala has be. come a huge repository of religious discourses put in the mouth of religious Dignitaries; and the elements of story will not suffer much, even if these are excluded from the narration. All such discourses may be put together here to see what a vast range of Jaina dogmatics is covered by Uddyotana. First the pages and lines are noted, and against them are enumerated the topics under broad heads : 35.30 f.: The major types of Hims, and the reasons or pretexts with which they are committed. 36.14 f.: Hells, the tortures etc. therein. 39. 1 f.: The sub-human births (according to the number of Indriyas) and the miseries etc., therein. 40.13 f.: Human birth, its causes, grades, miseries etc. 42.29 f.: Gods, their anxieties etc. 44.15 f.: A discourse on Krodha, Mana, Maya, Lobha and Moha, and their fourfold gradation (Anantanubandhi etc.) with illustrations. 90.8 f.: An explanation of Abhavya, Kala-bhavya and Bhavya. 92.12 f.: A conventional description of (Saudharma-) Kalpa and (Padma-) Vimana, the birth of a Jiva there, the local environments etc. 95.12 f.: Some details of Paja; see also 132.27 f. 95.24 f.: Five Paramest hins and the duties of laymen and monks. 96.28 f.: Details of the Samayasarana ; See also 217.21 f. 97.27 f.: A discourse on Jiva, its nature, its relation with Karman, its migration through various births and its liberation. 142.21 f.: A discussion about Dharma, its practice and its objective. 177.28 f.: A graphic glorification of Samyaktva. 185.22 f.: A detailed picture of hellish, human and divine beings : their acts and consequences. 192.27 f.: Symbolically spiritual interpretation of various vocations etc. 201.33 f.: A succinct exposition of the fundamentals of Dharma. 209.18 f.: Rarity of religious enlightenment in human birth, explained by Yuga-samila dpstanta. 217.27 f.: Discourse on twofold Dharma. 219. 9 f.: A discourse on five Maha vratas and the attendant Bhavanas. 227.19 f: An exposition of twelve Anupreksas. 230. 5 f.: A Samyag-drsti and his traits. .20 f.: Elaboration of the types of Karmas and their consequences. 242. If.: An exposition of Udaya, Ksaya, Ksayopasama of the Jnanavaraniya and other Karmas with reference to Dravya, Ksetra, Kala, Bhava and Bhava. 243.13 f.: A contrasted picture of the conditions in the Aparavideha and Bharata ksetra. drstanta

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Religious background of the Kuvalayamala 245. 6 f.: An exposition of the Lesya doctrine, typically illustrated by the lesyavrksa how the same act can incur different quantity of sin according to the temper amental state. 253.18 f. Through the medium of a divine voice, a few religious discourses on the following topics are presented: 261. 8 f.; A discourse on the causes which lead to life in hell. 269.23 f. 3 (i) One's benefit in the next world has to be ever remembered. (ii) Virati or detachment is necessary even in the midst of pleasures. (iii) The practice of Dharma leads to Punya which brings pleasures; so Dharma is important. (iv) Dharma alone, and not the lures of Indriyas, can save one from the pangs in hell. (v) One thirst quenched leads to another; and there is nothing like satisfaction in this Samsara. (vi) One should get rid of the infatuation for pleasures recollecting the manifold tortures, tortures, ailments, humiliations and sufferings of the past. (vii) The pleasures of sense-organs. are fatal in their consequences; so one should be circumspect with restraint on mind, speech and body. 271. 1 f. 272. 7 f. 273.25 f. 277. 7 f. A doctrinal exposition of the fourfold Aradhana, namely, Jnana, Darsana, Carana and Virya. A discourse on Samayika. An exposition of what may be called in general Pratikramana. Explanation of the two types of Death, namely, Pandita-and Bala-marana. Here is an elaborate salutation to Arhat, Siddha, Acarya, Upadhyaya and Sarvasidhu, a good many details about whom are recorded. 279.26 f. Details about a soul's ascent on the Ksapaka-sreni. All this shows that the author has snatched every opportunity to introduce Jaina dogmatical details to make his tale worthy of the name of Dharmakatha. The structure. of the narrative would remain in-tact, in most of the cases, even if these contexts are skipped over. There are, besides, casual references to Jaina ideas here and there. A Jaina monk, who has pulled out his hair on the head, wears white garments and has a bunch of feathers (piecha ), is distinguished from Tapasa and Tridandin and considered to be honoured in view of his ascetic emblem. He blesses dharmalabha (185); and some details about his entry into the order and equipments are available (194.19). The Pancanamaskara is a shelter and has great miraculous potency in adversity (137); and the karna-japa (uttering of the Panca-namaskara in the ear) given even to an animal leads it to a better future birth (11.32). The way in which one takes to ascetiscism and becomes a Pratyeka-buddha is interesting (141. 1-5, 142. 17 f.) The idea of Sadharmika-Vatsalyatva (116. 23, 137, 20) clearly indicates that Jaina religion. was not a theoretical philosophy, but a way of living tending to community life. A Carana-sramana is gifted with certain miraculous powers he has no gaccha

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Prof. Dr. A. N. Upadhye parigraha ; and he does not initiate others into the order. ( 80. 17 f.). The Jaina Tirthakaras and saints are introduced here and there more than once. The saints staying in the forest have an atmosphere of peace and amity around them; and their routine of living is also interesting ( 28. 22, 34). Besides the insertion of Jaina dogmatical details, there are contexts in the Kuvalayamala in which the author either criticises the views of other creeds or casually refers to them whereby we get a good glimpse of the contemporary religious ideas. According to the Lokasastra, or Scriptures current among the people, a son is necessary for the parents to reach better worlds and to satisfy the ancestors; so, for securing an issue (13.5f), various cults were current : flesh from one's body, dripping with blood, was offered as oblation in from of Isvara; one's head was offered to Katyayani who was stepping on a buffallo felled with Trisula; human flesh was sold on the burial ground; guggula resin was burnt on the head as an act of devotion; Bhutas, gods Matrs were appeased with blood: and prayers were offered to Indra. These are all risky practices ($32). Advised by wise ministers, king Drohavarman offers prayers, after due rituals (834), to Rajalaksmi (addressed by various names 14.16) and urges her to grant him audience within three days, otherwise he would offer his head. This Rajalaksmi is the spouse of ancient kings like Bharata, Sagara, Madhava, Nala, Nahusa, Mamdhats, Dilipa and others; and after a little joke with her, the king gets the promise of a son from the Kuladevata. Once prince Chandragupta passes through a fatal test and satisfies a Vetala ($379) from whom he gets the required details about a robber who could not be spotted by the city guards. The deities, the author tells us, are twofold; Saraga and Viragin ($395); and for worldly ends, the credulous people worship the latter of different names : Govinda, Skandha, Rudra, Vyantara, Ganadhipa, Durga, Yaksa, Raksasa, Bhuta, Pisaca, Kinnara, Kimpurusa, Gandharva, Mahoraga, Naga, astral bodies, natural phenomena etc. Sailors in difficulty offer prayers and make propitiative promises to different deities (68. 177.). A lady about to commit suicide appeals for grace to Lokapalas (53.6). Yaksa worship is referred to; and there were Yaksa statues with Janas on their heads. There is a substantial section (8322) in which the author reviews various tenets and practices of different religious schools rather than religious systems as a whole, and those too as contradistinguished from the Jaina ones. It is quite likely that these views are picked up and stated with the object of showing them to be contradictory and not acceptable to Jainism. Taking them seriatim, some of the systems reviewed are Buddhism, Tridandin, Samkhya, Upanisadic, Vedic sacrifice, Vanaprastha creed, gifts to Brah. mana, the alleged Advaita creed, extreme Bhakti cult, self-immolation or torture for divine propitiation, Digging of wells, etc., washing sins in the holy Ganges etc., Caturvarnya-dharma, erecting earthen deity etc. extravagant Dhyana, Vainayika creed, Carvaka view, gift cf cows etc. to Brahmana, Karuna-dharma , killing of harmful beings,

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Religious background of the Kuvalayamala the Pandarabhiksu's view, Fatalism, Isvara as the guiding spirit, extreme Jnanamarga etc. As against these the Dharma consisting of Five vows is said to be acceptable. A servere attack is levelled against the Brahmanic prescription of Prayascitta which is backed by great saints like Manu, Vyasa, Valmika, Markandeya, which has the sanction of Bharata, Purana and Gila and which consists in giving one's all possessions to Brahmins, in wandering a begging, cleanly shaven and in bathing and offering oblations at holy places like Ganga (-dvara ?), Bhadresvara, Virabhadra, Somesvara, Prabhasa, Puskara etc. ($$ 94, 107). As against this, the Sramanic prescription is different and consists of repentance, mental purification and penance in a proper perspective of religious virtues (49. 14 f., 55. 24., 90. 21.). Some interesting sidelight is available on the temples and holy places (p. 82); the ormer dedicated to Rudra, Jina,Buddha, Kottajja (Durga?) Sanmukha etc. and the latter, such as the sacrificial enclosures, Brahmanic schools, residences of Kapalikas and lodges in which the Bhagavadgita was recited. In the evening, Brahmanic houses resounded with Gayatri-japa. Elsewhere there is a nice glimpse of the Mathas or colleges for higher learning where students from different parts of India (150.20) flocked and were trained in handling weapons and in various fine arts, crafts and miracles (151.6f.). There were held classes (Vakkhana-mamdali) as well in advanced branches of learning such as grammar, Buddhism, Samkhya, Vajsesika, Mimamsa, Naiyayika, Jainism and Lokayata the characteristic topics of which are enumerated ($244). The description of the students is quite typical; and some of them mastered Vedic recitation (151.12f.) The author makes a distinction between 72 Kalas and 64 Vijna nas (15.11f.). Among the miraculous lores Prajnapti and Mahasabari-vidyas are mentioned (236.22, 132.2, 133.5). The prince Kuvalayacandra knows Dhatuvada or alchemy, turning baser metal into gold; and he comes across a group of people who are attempting that experiment, but without success. Their activities are described and we get at good sketch of what is done in this process (8311f.). The text Jonipahuda is said to be the source of this Vidya (196. 32,197.6 & 19). The Laksanasastra is elaborated more than once (116.9f.. 129.3f.); a branch of it is called Samudra (129.3). There is mentioned a lore of detecting treasure-trove (Khanyavada) from the plant above; some characteristics of the latter are described as if some source is being quoted (187; 104.23f.). There is a prince highly skilled in the art of painting, and he has painted an elaborate scroll of the Samsaracakra. (185.18f.). There are repeated references to belief in astrology, and an astrologer is consulted on various occasions (847, 273). There is a good discourse on Rasi-phala (SS 48-9), giving the traits and longivity of a child born on a part cular Rasi, on the authority of Vargala-risi : may be that the name of his treatise was Vamgala-jayaga (20.2,3,24). The prince explains why one should not eat food or drink water or even bathe immediately after one is over exerted and is hungry and thirty;

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Prof. Dr. A. N. Upadhye and he refers to Ausattha in this context, (114.23f.). The author has his own ideas about the digestive process inside (228.11f.); and in one context, he describes graphically. the predelivery signs (76.1f.). Horse-riding was quite necessary for princes. Possibly using some manual on Asvasastra, the author enumerates eighteen breeds of horses (23.20--1); and he gives details about some of them with reference to their Varna and Lanchana ($56). Here and there we have dreams and their symbolic interpretations (41; 269.7f.). The Nimitta--jnana, which is a branch of Srutajnan, is potent enough to indicate Subha and Asubha of the past, present and future; and it is illustrated in details ($412). Besides the reference to Bhurjapatra which was used for writing (the script being Avara-livi) a love-letter (160.13f.) there is a graphic and detailed description (a bit dignified) of a palm-leaf MS, written in Brahmi-lipi (201.28f.).