Lord Mahavira and His Times

SR No.: 011080
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 427
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

Page 302

284
Lord Mahavira and His Times
asvattha, udumbara, vața, nandi, tilaka, śirisha, saptaparṇa, lodhra, chandana, arjuna, tālatamāla, and others.1
The trees provided people with wood for the supply of firewood and litter. Various kinds of bamboos, creepers, grass, medicinal herbs, and roots were found in plenty. Vanakamma is mentioned as the occupation of those who dealt in wood, an occupation which included the felling of trees. Ingālakamma was another profession the followers of which prepared charcoal from firewood. There were woodgatherers (Katthaharaga), leaf-gatherers (pattaharaga and grasscutters (taṇahāraga) whom we meet frequently roaming about in the forest.3
The forests also yielded other valuable animal products such as hides, skins, sinews, bones, teeth, horns, hoofs, and tails of such creatures as the leopard, tiger, lion, elephant, buffalo, yak, crocodile, tortoise, snake, and birds. ARTS, CRAFTS, PROFESSIONS AND INDUSTRIES
Arts and crafts made considerable progress during this period. The earlier industries continued to make progress, but there was a tendency towards specialization in different branches of the same industry. With the growth and development of urban life, some new arts and crafts also began to meet the needs. With the establishment of big kingdoms, military needs also increased. Wide use of metal further increased the efficiency of several industries.
TEXTILES
Next to agriculture, spinning and weaving should be regarded as most important. References to the weaver (tantuvāya)4, the loom (tanta)5, weaving appliances (tantabhaṇḍa),° and weaving sheds' (tantuvayaśālā) in literary works suggest that weaving was fairly common in society. There were various textile fabrics such as linen (Khomam), cotton (Kappāsi
1. Panna, 1. 23. 12 ff. 35. f. Raya, 3, p. 12. Thu, 10., 736. 2. Ura, 1, p. 11; Vya. Bha, 3. 89; Acha, II. 2. 303.
3. SBE, XIII. 2S; Digha, I. 51; Ja, IV. 475, Panna, I. 37. 4. Ja, I. 356.
5. Vinaya II. 135.
6. Ava. chu, p. 282. 7. Ibid.