Nani Rayan

SR No.: 001481
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Pulin Vasa
Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi Ahmedabad
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Art, & Culture
File Size: 9 MB

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meaning of which is difficult to understand. From some vague letters some names of the kings are deciphered. These coins are dated from 1000yrs BC to the 1st century BC.39 In Kshatrap period the silver coins were known as kasaparn. (Kash=A particular Weight. Thus a coin of a particular wt.) These coins have immensely helped in chronology of events. They bear the names of the ruler and the year of minting on one side & the figure of the king on the other side.
Boudhayan Dharma sutra, written somewhere between fifth century BC to third century BC, prohibited traveling by sea (Samudra sanyan) for Brahmins. This shows that sea faring was a common practice. The long coastline also favors this. Two books in Paly language from Shri Lanka, Dipvansa written in 4th AD and Mahavansa written in the 6th century AD, talks of Vijay, the son of king Sinhabahu of Lat (South Gujarat), who named this island as Sinhaldweep. He was the founder of the Aryan sinhal Sanskruti. 40 Many Anushrutis mention shipping trades to Java from Gujarat via Ceylon.
Prakrut and Sanskrit were the chief languages used. Most of the rock inscriptions have been written in either of the two. During the excavation of Dev Ni Mori near Shamalaji in Gujarat a wooden box was recovered on which there were 5 lines in Sanskrit. They were poetically written stanzas and are believed to be the most ancient Sanskrit writing found from Gujarat. Beautifully written scriptures by different Jain munis show the brilliance of literary activity. Ujjain, Mathura and Vallabhi were the seat of literary activity.
The writings were done in three major scripts, Brahmi, Kharosti and Greeko Roman. The earliest Brahmi inscription is from Samrat Ashoks period. Kharosti and Greeko Roman script were in use in the third and second cent BC disappearing from writing in the later period. Brahmi not only remained in use but also evolved gradually (from Maurya period to Kshatrap period to Gupta period) and had provincial influence by which we mean that different regions had certain distinct characteristics.
As every epoch of mankind has some religious affiliations, the history period people too had definite religious beliefs. Viz. Brahman Dharma (Religion) or Shiv Pujak and Vishnu Pujak Sampraday (Sect), Buddhist Dharma and Jain Dharma. There are evidences of fair amount of religious tolerance and at many places all the three religions coexisted. In different phases of time and different places the state (Ruler) supported a particular religion.
Over and above these main streams of religions some people were sun worshipers. Snake worshipping and worshipping Yaskha was also in Vogue.
An important aspect of Brahman Dharma was Observance of Purva Dharma. In Purva Dharma the emphasis is on social services. The construction of public utility structures like public wells water storage tanks temples was an important aspect of this ideology.
We find ample evidences of this belief and many public utility structures were created during this period. (This ancient philosophy is alive and active even today)
The Tika churni of Jain Agam has a very interesting story of Ajivak', a Fire Worshiper who filled
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Vasudev Upadyay Bhartiy sikke Adhyay 2 A.L.Basam; Prince Vijay and Aryanisation of Ceylon
The Geographic And Historic Perspective of Kutch