History of Jaina Monachism

SR No.: 001727
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute
Publication Year: 1956
Total Pages: 616
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Principle, & History
File Size: 12 MB

Page 96

HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
91
Two things, however, may be noted : that Kuņāla never succeeded Asoka, and that Ujjeni rather than Pāçalīputra was coming into prominence. Samprati and Daśaratha :
With the passing away of Asoka, two of his grandsons seem to have come to prominence-Samprati and Daśaratha. It is not clear as to what the relations between these two were, and Jaina and Buddhist traditions even omit the name of Dasaratha. But his historicity has been attested by his dedication of the caves to the Ājivika sect on the Nāgārjunī Hill. 199
It may, therefore, be possible that both these grandsons of Asoka ruled simultaneously, Samprati at Ujjain and Dasaratha at Pāțalīputra.
Out of these two, Samprati was said to be a great patron of Jainism. We have already referred to the episode connected with his birth. When after his rise to kingship, he came in contact with the famous Jaina pontiff Arya Suhastin at Ujjain, the latter told him regarding the story of the former's previous birth. Hearing that, Samprati became devoted to the Ācārya and accepted the vows of a Jaina layman.
He is said to have given clothes to the monks, opened food-centres for the poor, and asked the cooks to give all the remnant of the food to the Jaina monks. He paid the cooks for this as otherwise the monks were not likely to accept food from the king as it was not allowed to them.
Thus the monks obtained profuse articles of food and pieces of clothing. Then Arya Mahägiri told Arya Suhastin that it was likely that the king had ordered the people indirectly in this connection. Arya Suhastin, however, out of affection for his disciples, allowed the monks to accept these, upon which Ārya Mahāgiri threatened him with separation of the sambhoga, i.e. severing connections and not having common meals or reading of scriptures. At last Arya Suhastin came to know his mistake and stopped the monks from taking advantage of the bounty of the king.
Samprati invited all his vassals and explained them the Jinadharma. Thus, festivals and worship of the Jina images began to be celebrated in all the countries round about Ujjain. He also asked his feudatories to prohibit killing of living beings in their regions, and make the touring of monks safe.
The king used to send his spies in the garb of Jaina monks to the border regions. Thus he made the regions of Andha, Damila, Maharatta and Kudukka safe for the Jaina monks.200
199. I. A., XX, pp. 361ff. 200. Brh. kalp. bhā Vol. III, 3275-89; JACOBI, Parisistaparvan, p. 69.