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 261

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA Pavvaiya, situated on the bank of the River Candrabhaga, nov known to us as the Chenab It is really difficult to identify this Pavvaiya--having in Sansknt some such form as Parvatika or Paryati_with any definite place in the map of Northern India. Nevertheless, from Yuan Chwang's Travels in India we get to know that from Mou-lo-San-pu-lu--16 Multan-- the pilgrim went north-east about 700 li to Po-fa-to country. "The Po-fa-to of this passage," observes Watters, "is supposed to be for Po-la-fa-to-that is, Parvata."? Can we infer from this that Parvata of the Chinese traveller may be Pavvaiya, the capital of Toramana ? However, there is no one opinion about this in the scholar-world. Suffice it to say for our purpose that, according to the Jainas, the capital of Toramana was Pavvalya, and that it remains to be seen as to where exactly this place can be located in the map of Northern India What we are chiefly concerned with is the fact of some Acurya Hargupta being the Guru of the great Toramana. The significance of this note of the Kuvalayamala is really great. Up till now, barring a few inscriptions, to which we have already referred above, there is practically nothing which could enlighten us about the state of the Jainas during the Gupta period A foreign and triumphant ruler like Toramana having a Jaina Acarya as his Guru & matter of no little importance for Jaina history. Howsoever msignificant it may seem, it is the basis on which we can infer that, as with the Saisunaga, Nanda and the Maurya periods, so also in the golden age of Indian history Jaina Sadhus enjoyed the privilege of becoming Ragagurus. Coming next to Harigupta, the great Acarya, it seems he must have been a man of great importance in his time. He is intro duced to us as one belonging to the Gupta dynasty. It is very difficult to say whether he belonged to the royal dynasty of the Guptas or to any other ordinary dynasty of that name There 18 hardly any evidence before us on which we can make such an 1 Cf Watters, Yuan Chang's Travels in India, 1, p 255, Beal, St-Yu-K1, 11 p 275 Watters, op and loc cu CJ Beal, op and loc cat * According to Vincent Sunith Po-fa-to (Parvata) indicates the reign olan (Jammoo), in the south of Kashmir state as at present constituted Cf Watters, op ! 342 Cunningham identifles Po-la-fa-to with Shorkot. though he believes that position directed by the traveller agrees with the site of Jhang on the Chenab ng ham, Ancient Geography of Indra, pp 288-284 In the opinion of Dr Fleet, Po-fa-to cannot be anything else but the ancient place of Harppa-Fleet, JRAS, 1907, p 650 212