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which in Kanarese means 'white pond'. In the inscriptions found there, the place has been called Dhavalasarasa, which also means 'white lake'.18
The famous book of Kautilya Arthašāstra also shows the inclination of its writer to the Jaina faith. The text mentions gods like Aparajita, Apratihata, Jayanta and Vaijayanta, 19 which remind us of the four gods Aparajita, Vijaya, Jayanta and Vaijayanta of the Jaina text Samavāyanga. Kautilya is also shown as advising the king to prohibit the slaughter of animals for all four months of the rainy seasons during the period of Cāturmāsya.20 The four months 21 are the same in which the Jaina monks keep themselves confined to certain place to avoid any type of himsā. Prohibiting animal slaughter during Căturmāsya by Kautilya also his inclination towards the religion of the Jinas. Besides, it is natural that if Candragupta Maurya accepted, followed and propagated Jainism, his prime minister might be a follower of the same religion. The ancient Indian history is full of examples of other dynasties and periods.
18 C. J. Shah, Jainism in Northern India, p. 138. 19 Arthasastra, II, 4.17. 20 Ibid., XIII, 5. 21 These four months are almost covered by the Christian months of July, August
September and October.
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