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 187

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA by one or two inscriptions and a few Brahmamcal, Jaina and Buddhist works." 1 The Puranas themselves do not agree as to who was the successor of Asoka. It is not an easy task to reconcile the divergent versions of different authorities. However, the reality of Kunala the son of Asoka is established by the combined testimony of all, but as to his succession the tradition is not unanimous. Hemacandra tells us under what unhappy circumstances he became blind, and was rendered "unfit to carry on the work of government which was presumably entrusted to his favourite son Samprati, the Jaina Asoka, who is described by the Jaina and Buddhist writers as the immediate successor of Asoka" 3 The only difficulty that lies in our way in accepting Samprata as the successor of Asoka is the reality of Dasaratha, whom we have already seen in connection with the Nagarjuni Hills bestowed by him upon the Agivikas. The only possible explanation of the difficulty seems to be this, that as the grandsons of Asoka either both of them ruled at the same time with Samprati as the successor of Asoka or that Dasaratha has been omitted by both the Buddhist and the Jaina annals. Of the two the first presumption seems to be more correct, considering the unanimous inclusion of Sampiati in the Magadhan list. Thus there is no doubt about the fact that Samprati was one of the Maurya emperors who was great enough to be mentioned by all. As to his enthusiasm for the Jaina church, it can safely be opined that he is one of the leading stars of the Jaina history in the north. In the matter of propagation of the Jama faith Jaina records speak as highly of Samprati as the Buddhist records do of Asoka. Smith observes: "He (Samprati) is reputed to have bee as zealous in promoting the cause of Jainism as Asoka had been in propagating the religion of Gautama "5 Raychaudhun, op cit, p 220 CJ Pargiter, op cit, pp 28, 70, Cowell and Neil, op cit, p 430, Kalpa Sud, Subodh -Ttka, sul 163, Reychaudhuri, op cit, p 222 C Jacobi, opel, pp 08-04; Conell and Neil, op. cit, p 133, Raychaudhur, op and loc cut , Bhandarkar, op and loc cut Both the Buddhist and the Jaina traditions about Samprata linic been reser to by us in the previous note for the Putranid see Pargiter, opal, pp 28, 703 Rny chaudhur, op al, p. 220 "Parhaps the empire was divided between his sons, Daratha And Samproti -Smith, op cit, 203 Smith, Oxford Il story of India. p 117, and n i c Bhandathor, op. ne loc. cit , Argfer FURTHECHCITU T A VI neferin ta: FF #917 --Kalpa-Satra, Subodhaka-7th, sill 0,p 263 "Almost all ancieni 144