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INTRODUCTION
17
Edward P. Rice in his History of Canarese Literature has mentioned on the basis of Rājāvali-kathā : “It is told of him that in early life he (Samantabhadra) performed severe penance and on account of a depressing disease was about to make the vow of Sallekhanā or starvation; but was dissuaded by his Guru who foresaw that he would be a great pillar of the Jaina faith.”
Nemidatta has quoted two verses said to have been spoken by Samantabhadra to Sivakoti. Both of these two verses could not, however be uttered by a Jaina Saint who is absolutely free from any pride or self-aggrandisement. In the first verse, Samantabhadra is made to say : “I was a naked Digambara saint in Kāñchi (Kanjivaram), in Lāmbusa (this place has not been identified). I had a grey body (being smeared with ashes) in Pundra (Ganda in Bengal) and Uạra (Orissa). I was a begging Buddhist monk in the town of Daśapura (Mandasa). I was a wanderer eating sweets. In Benares, I was a person performing penance (with ashes on my body)—white like a moon (or white like Śiva). O king! I am a Jaina ascetic. He who has power may hold a discourse with me.” This is supposed to have given the places visited by Samantabhadra while he was ill.
The second verse is copied from that found in an inscription (No. 54 – Inscriptions at Sravanabelgola) about a century before Nemidatta's Ārādhanā-kathā-kosa was compiled. The verse is as follows : "Frist, I beat the drum in the town of Pāțaliputra (Patna); then I did so in Mālava (Malwā), Sindhu (Indus), Dhakka (not definitely identified—some say a place in Punjab and others say Dacca in Bengal), in Kāñchipura (Kanjivaram) and Vidiśā (Vilsā). O king! I have now come to Karņāțaka (Kanhada 1.“कांच्यां नग्नाटकोऽहं मलमलिनतर्नुलाम्बुशे पाण्डुपिण्डः
पुण्डोद्रे शाक्यभिक्षुर्दशपुरनगरे मिष्टभोजी परिव्राट् । वाराणस्यामभूवं शशिधरधवलः पांडुरंगस्तपस्वी राजन् यस्यास्ति शक्तिः स वदतु पुरतो जैननिर्ग्रन्थवादी।।"
