Political History of Northern India

SR No.: 001744
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Gulabchandra Chaudhary
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1954
Total Pages: 482
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, & Culture
File Size: 10 MB

Page 233

THE DYNASTIES OF SAURASTRA
203
herself went to gather fuel. By the way a Jain monk named Silagunasūri came there and observed that the shade of the tree, even though it was afternoon, was not bending. Thinking that this was due to mysterious powers of the boy who would become a Jinaśāsana prabhāvaka i.e., a propagator of the Jain faith, he brought him from the mother by giving her the means of subsistence.” Then he was brought up by Ganini (head nun) Vīramati and was given the name of Vanarāja. When he was eight years old he was asked to look after the holy things so that they might not be damaged by rats. He did this by killing them with arrows. The Jain monk foresaw from his horoscope that he was to become a great king and so he was returned to his mother. Vanarāja lived with his maternal uncle who was leading the life of a bandit.
The Purātana-prabandha-sangraha does not mention his mother's name and states a somewhat different tale:
In the village of Ambāsaņā, there lived two brothers named Canda and Cāmunda of the Cāpotkața clan. An astrologer informed them that the child which the wife of Cāmunda was bearing in the womb, when born, would kill Canda. So she was abandoned. She went to Pañcāsara where she made her livelihood by gathering fuel and other things. The Silagunasūri, who had gone out, saw the shade of Vaņa tree uninclined. He, therefore, considered the boy as an auspicious one. The mother was given shelter in a caitya or temple where he resided. The bardic version Ratnamālā of Krşnakavi narrates:
"Jayaśekhara, the king of Cāvadā family of Pañcāsara, was attacked by Bhūvada of Kalyāņa-kațaka in the Kānyakubja province in V.E. 752 (A.D. 695). The city of Pañcāsara was besieged by the attacking army. The siege continued for fifty-two days. When Jayasekhara saw that he could no longer hold against the enemy he sent away his queen Rūpasundari who was pregnant to a forest nearby with her brother Surapāla, who was his general, but afterwards turned to be an outlaw. Jayasekhara died fighting. In the forest Rūpasundari delivered a son
1 Ibid., p. 12: HTTSTE qarat: 1 2 Ibid.
3 Vanarājavyttam, p. 12: 3 areaI1077 z u sThuifTet TRIOT OTH ... A PREMI : A1 TTEETH TETT BESTAT safe etc.