Concealing And Protecting Stories On Upagahana

SR No.: 269498
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Luitgard Soni
Publisher: Luitgard Soni
Total Pages: 6
Language: English
Classification: Article, N000, & N999
File Size: 752 KB

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LUITGARD SONI
CONCEALING AND PROTECTING. STORIES ON UPAGUHANA
235
The following instance is from Harişena's BKK, story number 97, Nila-lohitakathānaka, as part of a longer story of rebirths and is summarised here. The term avagühana is explicitly mentioned in the respective context. The nun, a novice, is Jyestã who becomes pregnant because of her association with a mini (Satyaki). Her son Rudra is abandoned in a cave and then retrieved.
delivery could take place in the house of a relative. And, further, they orchestrated the hiding and finding of the child, who thus was not known to be the son of Jyestă but a foundling being taken care of by friendly people.
From the examples of the stories referred to above the following points can be drawn as the main features of upaguhana:
1. Upagühana is the protection of the reputation of the Jaina religion; 2. For this purpose it is proper for laypersons to hide the faults committed by members of the religious community by concealing facts or even lying or to counteract misbehaviour publicly; 3. Upagühana is not implemented for the sake of an individual but for the status of the Jaina community in society.
Jyestå was one of the seven daughters of king Cetaka and she was the Sister of Celana who was abducted by Abhayakumara, son and counsellor of king Sreņika of Rājagsha, to become the wife of king Sreņika. Jyestă was supposed to accompany her sister, but she was left behind by her jealous sister by means of a trick: when leaving the town at night Celana sent her back to the palace to fetch a necklace. Jyestä then arrived with the necklace at the appointed place but searched in vain for her sister. She was afraid to return to her father's house and in her feeling of being destitute she entered a retreat of nuns and resorted to Jaina tapas. Once the nuns heard that the muni Satyaki (Jyest's husband in a former life) was practising tapas on a mountain near Rajagrha and went up to him to bow down to him. On the way down, the floods of an unscasonal rainstorm made the nun Jyestā seek shelter in a cave (güha). Satyaki had to interrupt his yoga, disturbed by the water, and he too entered the cave. When they beheld each other there in the cave their minds were filled with anorous emotions and they united in love. Satyaki then went to his guru, confessed and undertook the prescribed penance. Jyestā on her part went to her superior and confessed. The nun accepted her with composure and entrusted her into the care of her sister Celana in Sreņika's palace. There she gave birth to a heavenly shining boy. Abhayadeva (Abhayakumara) took the newly born boy away and abandoned him in a cave. On account of a dream which Celana had the king Sreņika went to this cave, found the boy and entrusted him to the care of his wife who then educated him with her own son.
In this place the narration is interrupted by the reflection: (stanza 69): "Together with Abhayakumāra the conscientious Celana, who was finn in the right belief, performed the concealment (avaguhana) of Jyesta.
This seems to be the didactic impact of this section of this dharmakatha. There is no condemnation of the breach of the monastic vows. The conduct of the monk and the nun is a matter of confession and atonement and is dealt with internally. The duty of householders, however, is to ward off any blemish in public. They give shelter to the pregnant woman, something that would be quite natural since the