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________________ JAINISM IN ROYAL FAMILIES Hemacandra, had been lying underground at Vitabhaya since the days of Udayana." This much about Sindhu-Sauvira-Desa and its metropolis Vitabhaya. About its ruler, Udayana, there are not many data wherefrom to infer historically. In the words of Dr Raychaudhuri "It is difficult to disentangle the kernel of historical truth from the husk of popular fables", but it must be admitted that there are a few facts about Udayana which can be gleaned from the Jaina andals and which deserve some notice, howsoever little, on the part of historians. According to these annals UdEyana of SaudiraDesa in an open fight defeated his dependent Canda Pradyota of Avanti, who is an historical person, and about whom we shall see in detail in his relation as husband to Siva, the fourth daughter of Cetaka. Besides this we know that Udayana was succeeded by his nephew Kesi, in whose reign Vitabhaya went to wreck and ruin 4 One cannot say if this is all a mere fiction or this is itself the reason why we have no traces of the history of this great part of the country, though we know on good authority that at one time it formed one of the nine-Vargas" of Bharatavarsha. About Udayana's and his wife Prabhavati's attitude towards the religion of the Jinas we have ample proof, direct and otherwise, in the canonical literature of the Jainas, on which we can base our own inferences. At one place Prabhavati, the Licchavi princess, having performed the worship of a Jaina image, says: "The Arhat, who is free from love, hatred and delusion, who knows everything, who is endowed with the eight miraculous powers, who wears the form of the supreme god of gods, may he grant me a sight of himself." 5 This shows with what respect the queen of Sauvira looked 1 Tera frenn.. Inga fol. fufquf HATI : JAICYCE... YUGT . 1 ECHGIRO A fanfaat Hemacandr, op cit, w 20, 22, 83, pp 158, 160 Raychaudhuri, op at, P 128 Thus war between the two, according to the legend. had taken place because Pradyota had run away with a servant girl and an image of Jina which belonged to Udayana. "Thereupon he sent a messenger to Pajoya : 'I care nothing for the servant girl Send me the image! He did not give it Udayana hurriedly took the field together with the ten langs (his yussals) . When Pajjoya descended he was bound (captured by Udayana) - eyer (J. J.), op cit, pp 109-110 Cr Alasyaha-Sartra, p 299 STRAF TEL T mat. Ent. 46-Iord, PP 298-290 CHemacandra, op. cit, v. 578, P 156 TR TTT A ...-Bhagarali-Sutra, stit 491, P 610 "When he (Udayana) died, a derty let a shower of dust fall .. Even to this day it lies buried -Meyer (J J), op el, pp. 113-116 * Ibid, p 105 91
| SR No. | 011067 |
| Book Title | Jainism in North India |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Chimanlal J Shah |
| Publisher | Longmans Green and Compny London |
| Publication Year | 1932 |
| Total Pages | 66 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 3 MB |