Dhammakahanuogo

SR No.: 001954
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kanhaiyalal Maharaj, Dalsukh Malvania
Publisher: Agam Anuyog Prakashan
Total Pages: 810
Language: Prakrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Agam, Canon, Story, Literature, & agam_related_other_literature
File Size: 20 MB

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to the 3rd century B.C., although the whole mythology concerning the Krsna legend was given its final shape about the beginning of the Christain era.' It was round about this time or a little later that the works like the Vasudevahindi, dealing with Harivamsa by Sanghadasagani Vácaka, were composed. The Vasudevahindi has dealt with the origin of the Harivamsa clan (356, 27-358,6; 111, 1-7;77, 12-18) and it is interesting that its origin is also counted among the ten wonders of the world (Thānā, 10). Later, Jinasena (783 A.D.) in his Harivamsapuraṇa, also known as Aristanemipuranasangraha, deals with the legends of Krsna Vasudeva and Balarama in a Jain setting. Then Maladhäri Hemacandra (1123 A.D.) in his Bhavabhāvanā narrates the biographical account of Neminatha in detail. It is noteworthy that in the present work while describing the life-history of Aristanemi, only his renunciation (pavvajjā) and attainment of omniscience (kevalanana) are mentioned, and nothing else. It is only in the Uttaradhyayana (22) that his betrothal with Rajimati, daughter of king Ugrasena of Mathura, finds a mention. Later on, commentators like Nemicandra added a good deal of material related to the legend of Aristanemi and Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva in their commentaries.
4. The Life - History of Pasa (Pārsva)
Historical Jainism begins with Pasa, the twenty-third Tirthankara of the Jains. He is the immediate predecessor of Mahavira, who flourished some 250 years before the latter. He was known as purisādāniya (distinguished), lokapujita (honoured by people), sambuddha (enlightened), sarvajña (omniscient), dharma-tirthankara (prophet of the law) and Jina (victor)'. He lived thirty years as a householder and after leading an ascetic life for seventy years, attained liberation at Mt. Sammeya (Parasnath Hill, in the district of Hazaribagh on the Bengal-Bihar border). It is stated in the Acaranga (2.3. 401, p.389) that the parents of Mahavira were the adherents of Pasa. We come across a number of Pärsva's desciples (pāsāvaccijja Pārśvāpatya) referred to in the Jain canon. Many of them are said to have given up the caujjāmadhamma (the doctrine of fourfold restraint)* and accepted the Pañcamahavvaya (the five great vows) enunciated by Mahavira. The Uttaradhyayana (23) refers to an important conference between Kesi, representative of Parsva and Gautama Indrabhūti, representative of Mahavira, held in Srävasti. A number of questions were discussed in this conference and ultimately Kesi is said to have accepted the five vows preached by Mahavira. Besides, on the basis of the study of Buddhist texts, Jacobi has shown the existence of the niggantha (unattached) order founded by Pārsva
1. ZDMG, 42, 1888, p.494, after The Vasudevahindi, 26f
2. Aslo see Gunabhadra's Uttarapurāna (70.200.211); TSP (8.2.15-20); Mahapurana (lxxxii) by Puspadanta 3. Uttarā, 23.1
4. According to the Thāṇā (4.266), except the first and the last Tirthankaras, all the rest are said to have preached the doctrine of cāujjamadhamma;
(i) to abstain from committing all kinds of violence (savvão pāṇativāyāo veramaṇam,
(ii) to abstain from all kinds of telling lies (savvão musāvāyāo veramaṇam),
(iii) to abstain from accepting all kinds of things which are not given (savvão adiņņādānão veramaṇam), (iv) to abstain from all kinds of external possession (savvão bahiddhādāṇao veramanam). To these fourfold vows was added the vow of bambhacera (to abstain from indulgence in sex) by Mahavira. However, the commentator Abhayadeva explains the word bahiddhādāņa (bahirdhādāṇa) as 'accepting (adana) from outside' which corresponds to Mahavira's both the fourth and the fifth vow, according to him.