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SOME JAINA CANONICAL SUTRAS
are set forth in the second division are also represented as princes born to king Śreņika by his queen Dhārini.
The model story in the third division is that of Dhanva. Sunaksatral who finds mention in the Pāli Nikāyas as a Licchavi prince and lay supporter of the Jaina order, is included here in the list of ten persons. Dhanva is described as a prince born in the royal house of king Jitasatru of Kākandi. He became a Jaina monk and he strictly observed the religious practices and rules of life. The real interest of the story lies in the graphic description of the personal condition of the aspirant, while he was going through the hardship of the penances. It may be pointed out that a similar description of the penances is found in the Pāli Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya (Vol. I, pp. 83–90). The forms of austerity described in the Pāli discourse are the penances observed by the Buddha previous to his enlightenment. These are found fruitless by him as means of salvation.
1 Pāli Sunakkhatta, Digha, III, pp. Iff; B. C. Law, Historicul Gleanings, p. 16.
