Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 1994
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 428

N-3
S. No. 3:
its romantic and miraculous adventures is very popular with Jain writers. He figures in the Buddhist works by way of only a passing reference. He occupies a more prominent place in the popular literature in Sanskrit. He is portrayed as the master of trickery and the arts of roguery', and 'a theorist on matters of love'. Devendra's story represents a fully developed form of a genuine folktale about Múladeva who was a famour roque (dhurta), a master of such arts as theft and deceit, well versed in magic, an adventure in early Indian Literature. This legend is taken from Devendra's commentary, Sukhabodhā, On the Uttaradhyayana-sútra (Uttarā D) (pp. 36."- 44). Devendra tells the story of the destruction of Dvāravati and Krsna's death in connection with yācanăpari saha - 'the difficulty of begging food dealt with in the Uttaradhyayan (ll. 28-29). These verses state that begging is not an easy thing for a monk but that should not lead him to think that the householder's life is better or preferable. The Niryukti on this chapter gives Baladeva as an illustration of yäсanā-parisaha. The Cūrnikāra construes this illustration in two ways: (i) Balarāma felt it humiliating to beg food from his earlier servants and hence lived in the forest begging food from the woodcutters, etc. He thus failed to observe the rule of yəcanā-pari saha, (ii) According to others his extra ordinary beauty made many people (women) in the town go mad and neglect their normal duties. To aovid this unpleasant result, Balarāma preferred to live in the forest. He thus did observe the hardship of begging. Devendra and others following him have preferred the second version of the story as bringing greater credit to Balarāma and they have utilised this