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 178

JAINISM IN ROYAL FAMILIES Candragupta, the founder of the dynasty, the conqueror of the Greeks and the first known Emperor of India, was a Jaina. To state briefly the tradition, it is as follows Then King Candragupta was ruling over North India (either from Ujjain or from Pataliputra) a great twelve years' famine was foretold by the Stutakealin Bhadrabahu, who, as we have seen, was one of the high priests during this period. As a result of this prophecy a large body of Jainas (numbering about 12,000) came to the south, where several of them (including Bhadrabahu ?) died by the holy vow of Sallekhana, or the total rejection of food unto death. This event took place at Sravana Belgola, in Mysore. Candragupta, who followed the Samgha, renouncing everything, remained (9) for twelve years at Belgola, Torshipping the footprints of his departed preceptor Bhadrabahu, and finally himself died by the same rite. The parentheses and interrogations in the above summary indicate the different versions of a single legend, agreeing in its fundamentals and differing only in details of lesser importance We have seen that this tradition also forms one of the links connected with the great Digambara-Svetambara schism in the Jaina church, and that it is not acceptable to the Svetambaras, who agree only with the fact of the great famine which lasted for twelve years, and tell us that Acarya Susthita, who lived in Candragupta's capital, was forced to send his Gana to some other country. Our interest in this tradition hes only so far as it shows that Candragupta was a Jaina. A detailed examination of it must be left to a student of Jainism in South India However, it may be mentioned here that It has been dealt with at some length by scholars like Narasimhachar of Mysore, Fleet and others. 2 The earliest literary form of the tradition is found in the BrhutKatha-Kosa by Harisena, dating from about A.D. 931.8 An inscription at Sravana Belgola, which has been roughly assigned to C. AD. 600, is supposed to be the basis of this entire account." 1C Femacandra, op cit, vv 877-878 In the list of the Sthacras Susthrta comes after Sthulabhadra, who is the eighth pontiff of the Jaina church of Jacobi, SB.E, XX, pp 287-288 : Narasimhachar, op cit, Int , pp 36-42, Fleet, 1.4, xx, pp 156-160 3. . the Brihat-Katha-Kosa, & Sanskrit work written by Harisena in 931, says that Bhadrabuhu, the last of the Srutalcalins, had the King Candragupta, as his disciple" --Narasimhachar, op cit, Int , p 87 C Rice (Lewis), op cit, p 4 CS Narasimhachar, op cit, Int, p 89, brd, Translatzon, pp 1-2, Rice (Les), op cit, pp 34 185