Jainism in North India

SR No.: 011067
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

Page 152

JAINISM IN ROYAL FAMILIES as we have already seen, the Jaina sources tell us that along with the Mallaki chiefs these eighteen confederate kings of Kasi-Kosala were also called by Cetaka when he came to know that Kunka had declared war against him. Considering the Kasi-Kosala confederacy we know from different sources that the Kasis-- e. the people of Kasi--were closely connected, both as foes and allies, with the people of Kosala and Videla, "Of the sixteen Mahajanapadas Kasi was probably at first the most powerful," and it is accepted as such by both the Jaina and the Buddhist lists. Its importance in connection with the Jaina history of the days of Parsva we have already referred to. During his wanderings as a monk Mahavira also visited this place 3 It may be mentioned here that in the Antagada-Dasao there is some reference to a king named Alakkhe of the aty of Varanasi who joined the order. Finally, considering Kosala of the Kasi-Kosala confederacy ve find that, like Kasi, this also was one of the sixteen states, of considerable extent and power, and it also is found in both the Buddhist and the Jaina literature, Geographically, Kosala roughly corresponds to the modern Oudh, and it seems to have contained three great cities-Damely, Ayodhya, Saketa and Savatthi, or Sravasti the first two of which are often supposed to be one and the same 6 Of these Sravesti, "the capital of Kosala," 7 was more than once visited by Mahavira, and all along he was well received there.3 "Traditionally Sravasti, or, as it was called, Candrukapuri or Candrapuri, was the birthplace of the third Tirthankara Sambhavanatha and the eighth Tirthankara Candraprabha of the Jainas. There is still a Jaina temple here dedicated to Sobhanath, which is evidently a corruption of Sambhavanatha." 9 1 Cf. Raychaudhuri, op.al, p 44. * Ind , pp 59, 60 * Cf Avasyaha-Sutra, p 221, Kalpa-Sutra, Subodhiha-Tika, p 106 * Barnett, op. cl,p 96 5 Raychaudhur, op and loc cit. . Ibid, pp. 62-68 ? Pradhan, op. cit, p 214 "Savatthi is the great ruined city on the south bank of Rapti called Sabeth-Mabeth, which is situated on the borders of the Gonda and Bahriah districts of the United Provinces." --Raychaudhuri, op cit, p 63 C Dey, op cit, pp. 189-190 8 T ferat ,. tit. Atasyala-Satra, 221, Cf. abd , pp 204, 214, Kalpa-Sutra, Subodhala-Zd, PP 103, 105, 106, Barnett, op HP 98, Jacobi, op at, p 264 Dey, opet,p 190 "Sruvasti is the Savatthi or Sivatthipura of the Buddhists and Candrapura or Candrkapuri of the Jainas "-Ibid. p 188. 109