Agam 05 Ang 05 Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

SR No.: 001628
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jozef Deleu
Publisher: DE Tempel Brugge
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 372
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & agam_bhagwati
File Size: 19 MB

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(XVII 23), the nature of perception (V 52) and esp. of suffering (I 101, VI 101.8)37 and, finally, the Jaina idea of īriyāvahiyā (I 102, VIII 71, XVIII 82). All of these topics, it may be stated, are major subject-matters turning up over and again throughout the whole Viy. Surely there is evidence of still other clashes of opinion: occasionally also things natural (II 5') and supernatural (V 65), the relative merit of moral conduct and knowledge (VIII 101) and the nature of the Kevalin (XVIII 71) are topics of discussion.
§ 19. Conversion Stories. The annautthiya-texts are in more than one way related to what one might call the conversion stories. 38 As a matter of fact the two groups of texts overlap in VII 10.
The episodes in question (indicated with the letter E in the Conspectus, § 22) in the first place appear to record a welldefined set of exemplary conversions, scil. conversions of such persons as are representative of the different classes of people addressed by Mahāvīra. Among them there is a brahman (Khandaga, II 16), a monk of Pārsva's creed (Gangeya, IX 32), a dissident (Kalodāi, VII 10), a king (Siva, XI 91), a noble lord (Jamāli, IX 332), a noble lady (Jayanti, XII 2) and a merchant (Sudamsana, XI 11). A few more details will show that the seven of these are really well-chosen cases.
Khandaga, to begin with, clearly illustrates the superiority of Jaina above brahmanical wisdom: he had not been able to answer the questions proposed to him at Savatthi" by Mv.'s disciple Pingalaga. That is probably why his conversion at Kayangalā40 was thought of as such a memorable feat that the record thereof abounds in details on his profession, his further spiritual and ascetical career and esp. his death-fasting.
37 Viy. I 101: cf. also Thāņa 135b.
38 The most important conversion story is, of course, the Teyanisagga (XV, see § 3 above) which was inserted in the Viy. exactly because of its affinity with the other episodes recorded in this work.
39 Sāvatthi (Śrāvasti): mod. Sahet-Mahet on the river Rāpti (DEY, Geographical Dict., p. 189); see Set Mahet QIM 63 1/2/3 (T.I., p. 239).
40 Kayangalā or Kajangala: mod. Kankajol in the Santal Pargana, Bihār (JAIN, Life p. 295); deest GIP.
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