Sramana 2009 01

SR No.: 525067
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Shreeprakash Pandey, Vijay Kumar
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi
Publication Year: 2009
Total Pages: 100
Language: Hindi
Classification: Magazine, India_Sramana, & India
File Size: 14 MB

Page 96

Śrāvasti - The Sacred Place of Śramaņa Tradition
91
Śrāvasti has the unfading name in the history of Jaina church organization. It was the place where Jamāli, the son-in-law of Lord Mahāvīra, established the first Nihnava." It was the first dissension in the Jaina church during the life-time of Mahāvīra. It never stopped and finally broke away the united Jaina church in the coming centuries. This place saw the important discussion held between Keśī, the follower of Pārsva tradition, and Indrabhūti Gautama, the principal disciple of Mahāvīra, on some differences regarding their respective code of conduct." It appears that Keśī was the inhabitant of Srāvasti. He is also presented in an earlier Buddhist text Dīgha Nikāya having held conversation with king Payesi on some philosophical matter. This conversation has, with some minor alterations, been described in a Jaina Upānga text Rājapraśniya." The methodology adopted in both the texts suggests us to believe that Kesi was the one and the same person mentioned in both the tradition. Besides it, the Theravali of Kalpasūtral mentions the Śrāvastikā sākhā which obviously had its relation to this city. It was one of the four branches of Vesavāţikagaņa originated from preceptor Kāmardhi, the disciple of Ācārya Suhasti, most probably belonging to the end of third century B.C. It has been suggested that there was a temple of Tīrthankara Sambhavanātha as Ācārya, Jinaprabha informs that the temple was renovated several times but finally it was destroyed for ever during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Khilzi." The BỊhatkathākośa of Harişeņa which was written in the middle of tenth century A.D. also confirms the presence of Jina temple at Śrāvasti." It seems that Jaina religion could retain its presence here at least more than one thousand years from the time of Mahāvīra upto the beginning of the Gupta period.
As the Ājivika Centre:
Like Buddhism and Jainism, Srāvasti was a prominent centre of Ajīvika sect. A large number of lay-followers of this tradition were residing here. Lady Hālāhalā of Srāvasti, Saddālaputra, the potter of Polāsapur were some rich and prominent followers and Makkhaliputra Gośāla used to stay at their places. Once he was staying at her resting place, as Bhagavati - an ancient Jaina texts, informs us, Lord Mahāvīra also paid a visit to this city. Both were familiar to each other before this meeting. We are told that Gośāla had come into contact with Mahāvīra during the latter's second rainy season spent at Nalanda." This meeting was fruitless but during the same year Gośāla again approached Mahāvīra at Kollāga settlement and requested him to take him as his disciple. This time his request was accepted and both lived together for a considerable period. Meanwhile, dissension arose between the two giants on some philosophical points. Once Mahāvīra visited Śrāvasti to spend his rainy season before being omniscient. It was his tenth rainy season. Makkhaliputra Gośāla acquired here tejoleśyā and struck Mahāvīra with it to kill him. But it counter effected Gośāla and consequently he died after seven days. It was indeed the preferred place of Gośāla who, as we are told, stayed at least sixteen years at Śrāvasti and if we believe Gośāla's claim, he attained Jina-hood here some two years before Mahāvīra.?' He had numerous supporters in this town. The dailyroutine of the Ajivikas of Śrāvasti has been described in detail in Buddhist Jātakas also and "it would seem that the Kośala king Prasenajita was more favourably disposed to them than was his contemporary Bimbisāra of Magadh."22 There was a Ājivika-sabhā or meeting place of the Ājivikas at Śrāvasti