Indian Antiquary Vol 02

SR No.: 032494
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 428
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY, 1873.
lest they should kill an insect,* In Surat of cosmography, with which their system of a richly endowed hospital exists in which sick gods is most closely connected. But before and disabled animals are nursed with the same considering these differences between the Jainas care as if they were men.
and the Bauddhas, I consider it proper to insert Fourthly, the Jainas, following the example a brief report on the literature of the former, of the Bauddhas, have invented monstrous pe- because from this it will appear that in this riods, and have in this respect even excelled respect the Jainas have attached themselves to their predecessors. Their larger periods are the Brahmans. called Avasarpini and Utsarpini; each contains The Jainas possess a number of Puranas, 2,000,000,000,000 years. I Another period which chiefly contain legends of the Tirthan. has obtained the name sugara or sea, and karas, and present only exceptionally such as consists of 1,000,000,000,000,000 years. Each ooour in Brahmanic writings of the same name, of the two periods is divided into six small- The most important work is attributed to the er periods ; in the first the happiness, dura- Jina Sûri Acharya, whose age cannot tion of life, stature, &c. of men continually be determined quite accurately; the statement decreases until they descend to the lowest de- that he was a contemporary of King Vikramagree of misery, and during the period called ditya is worthless, because the origin of the autsarpini gradually again reach the highest de- Jaina doctrine cannot be pushed so far back, gree of perfection. These periods the Jainas The tradition said to be current in Southern have partly filled out with the stories of the India makes the author with greater propriuty to ancient epio dynasties of the Pandavas, of have been the spiritual preoeptor of Prince Krishņa, and of Prasenajit, a king of Sravasti | Amoghavarsha, who resided at Kanchi famed in the oldest Baddhist history, where in during the sixth century. As this kind of works they have sometimes indulged in unimportant does not exist among Buddhista, the Jainas alterations of the usual accounts, $
have borrowed the title and one of the subjeots In a similar manner the Buddhists have re- of these writings from the Brahmans. * modelled the history of the ancient Surya. The books called Siddhdnta and Agama vam sa or solar race; they place King Maha - partly take the place of the Vedas of the Brahsam mata at the head of the first large period mans, which the Jainas as well as the Baud, of the world, and allow after him 28 dynasties dhas despise. The first title, as is well known, to reign in various parts of Upper India designates a book of instruction, wherein a down to Iksh våku; these periods are called scientific system, especially an astronomical one, Asankyeya, i. e. numberless, and from those is demonstrated by arguinents. The 'title dynasties the later ones are deriyed; from Ma- Agama means also, among Brahmans, doctrines h â sammata to Iksh va ku 252,539 or or instructions which have come down by tradi. perhaps 140,300 successors are counted.l. tion; among Buddhists four collections of writ.
These agreements between the Jainas and ings, which, according to the correct conception, the Bauddhas will suffice to establish the point relate to the Satras, and treat of discipline and that the former have branched off from the lat- cognate subjects, are also called by this name, ter. Their deviations from their predecessors The three significations attributed to this title are chiefly in the domains of philosophy and coincide in the general traditional doctrine or
• Accordingly an English physician did a very unwel. seqq. From the mention by Hemachandra, III. v. 625 come service to a rati by convincing him by means of mi- segg. p. 127 seqq., of Dasarath, of his son R&ma and croscope that he was, in spite of this precaution, killing his foe, of the giant-king Ravana, of the other enemies invisible animalcule.
of Vishnu, as well as of several kings of the old Burys+ There are similar institutions in Bombay, Bharoch, and
varnia or solar race, the conclusion may be drawn that elsewhere.BD.
in other writings also of the Jainas, the history of this
dynasty is narrated. 1 Colebrooke, Misc. Essays, II. p. 276 seqq. These data are taken from the Abhidhdnachintamani of Hemachan.
See the references to this, Ind. Alt. I. p. 478, note 1. dra, and occur in the edition of O. Boehtlingk and Rieu, Of the literature of the Jainas, Wilson has treated II. v. 162 seqq. p. 15. Avasarpint," down-stepping," and most in detail, As. Res. XVII. p. 240 seqq. Utsarpint, up-stepping;" these expressions refer pro
• A similar kind of writings are the Charitaras, in bably to the decrease and increase of inappiness during these
which legends and miraculous histories of the Wrthan. periods. [See also above, p. 135.)
karas are narrated. $ This appends from extracts of the satrufijayama- 1 See on this, Ind. Alt. II. p. 1180 segg. hatmya by A. Weber, passim, p. 26, p. 81 seqq. and p. 851 I See Ind. Alt. IV. p. 643 and note 1.