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Bhagavai 3:2:95 upper region ..... up to the Sudharmă heaven? Gautama, just as the tribals like) barbara, tamkana, cucuka, palhava or pulinda can thwart the cavalary, troops on elephant-back, army and troops of archers, by taking shelter in a dense forest, cave, fort, ravine, impassable land, or a mountain, so the Asurakumāra gods can travel upward ...... up to the Sudharmă heaven by taking shelter of an arhat, an arhat-caitya or an ascetic who has sanctified his self by self-restraint and austerity. Without taking their shelter, they can not travel to the upper region.
Bhāsya
1. Sutra 95
In the present Sūtra, three sheltering agents for the Asurakumāra's entry into the upper region have been mentioned : [i] adorable ones [ii] the caityas of the adorable ones (ii) the ascetic who has practised austerity. The 'adorable ones' refers to the Tirthankara (founder of the religious "ford"), or a clairvoyant, or a mindreader or an omniscient. "Caitya of the adorable ones" can have two meanings: the idol of the adorable one, or an adorable ascetic. The monk, who has sanctified his self by the pratice of self-restraint and austerity, stands for a monk who has sanctified his self by the cultivation of knowledge, faith, etc..
The Vrtti explains the phrase 'nannuttha' in two ways-nanu+atra, or na anyatra. In connection with the second interpretation, the Vrtti mentions the reading--arahante vā nissãe, uddham uppayanti.' It follows from this that the Vrtti had before it only one reading. The whole section is related to Mahāvīra. The idol of the arhat is believed to have been in the Sudharmă Assembly of Camara. Why should then Camara go to Mahāvīra for taking his shelter? No reply to this query is available. Camara had gone to the upper region only after having gone to Mahāvīra and after having taken shelter in him and so the reading adopted in the Vrtti appears reasonable. With reference to the act of showing disrespect, the reading arahantaceiyāni vā is not available. On these grounds, the reading arahantaceiyāni vā is subject to scrutiny.?
In the Uvasagudasão (1.45), in connection with the reading annautthiyapariggahiyāni vā arahantaceiyaim, the topic of conversation and offering of food and drink has been spoken of, which is related to only a person, and not any idol. On this ground, in the present section also, the meaning arhat-caitya is plausibly arhat-muni. Srimajjayācārya has explained it as 'a chadmastha tirtharkara, i.e., with vcil of ignorance. He has elaborately and critically discussed the topic.4
1. Bha. Vr. 3.95-nannattha'tti 'nanu' niscitam 'atra' ihaloke, athavā 'arahamte vā nissāe uddham
uppayamti' 'nānyatra' tanniśrayādanyatra na, na tām vinetyarthah. 2. Bha. 3.115. 3. Bha. Jo. 1.56.36 -
kevalajñāna-sahita, te arihamta pahilo sarana. chadmastha-jina samgīta, caitya sāmänyajñānī tiko..
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