Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

Author(s): Suzuko Ohira
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 117

tween MV, Agnibhuti and Vayubhuti. The Prajnapana i informs us about all of them except for the last topic of vikurvana, which obviously developed in the fifth stage. An episode of Tişyaka, Sakra's samanika deva who is now MV's disciple, and an episode of monk Kurudattaputra, MV's disciple born as I'sana's samanika, are inserted in the middle (sutras 129 and 131) in order to explain samanika devas' rddhi through vikurvana. Then 11.1.133-40 narrate a story of how King I'sana attained his rddhi as a result of his past action. In his former life, he was Tamali, a householder, who became an ascetic in the Pranama Sect. He practised bala-tapas and died an exemplary death by fasting At that time Balicanca was without an indra, and the Asurakumaras entreated him to become their King, which he refused to do. He was then born as King Isana. On knowing this, the Asurakumaras in anger insulted his corpse. The Vaimanikas reported this account to King Is ana, who turned Balicanca into ashes by merely gazing at it: This was followed by the Asurakumaras' apology and submission to him. This story is based on the Siva motif. The text goes on to describe, for instance, how King Sakra and King I's ana greet each other and how their quarrel is settled. All these texts belong to the final canonical stage.
(4) King Sakra
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A story is told in II.2.141-48 that Sakra, enraged with Camara because of his sudden raid, threw his thunderbolt at him, which Śakra could barely seize in front of MV with whom Camara sought refuge. This story is narrated to explain why the Asurakumaras go up to Saudharma but not beyond, even though their range of action extends to Acyuta Kalpa. The reason is based on the legendary belief that the Asurakumaras cherish an inborn hatred against Sakra due to their natural enmity towards devas. They are thus said to rush up to Saudharma Kalpa at the end of utsarpiņi by seeking refuge with an arhat, but beyond this there is no specific reason for them to visit. The Jaina theoreticians here exhibit their usual inquisitiveness in calculating the relative speed of Sakra, Camara and the thunderbolt. MV who has not yet attained kevalihood by that time is already placed in the centre of the universe by taking the role of forgiving the faults of Sakra and Camara. This story is again the product of the fifth canonical stage.
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Around the time when stories like this began to be composed, a rule expressed in X.3.400 and XIV.3.507 must have been formulated; that the deva-devis with superior rddhi can go and attack (viivaejja) those with inferior rddhi, but those with inferior rddhi cannot do likewise without using trickery on those with superior rddhi. As to the range of devas' ection, it is stated in X V1.7.636 that the devas with extraordinary rddhi, etc., circumambulate the continentoceans up to Rucakavara continent, however beyond that they go across the continent-oceans directly. The explanation for this is that there is nothing