Agam 05 Ang 05 Study Of Bhagvati Vyakhya Prajnapti Sutra

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

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account of our heroine Mrgavati and Udayana attending MV's sermon. In the last sutra, Jayanti is initiated into the Jaina order of nuns. King Udayana is likewise initiated into the order of monks in X 11.6.490-91, while distressed Abhici runs to King Konika (cf. D-3). We have already placed these texts in the fifth canonical stage.
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A dramatic scene where MV meets his parents is described in X.33.379-81. Brahmin Rşabhadatta who has been already converted to Jainism and his wife Devanandā who is also a lay Jaina, approach MV to attend his sermon; there upon milk flows out of Devananda's breast, and she remains steadfastly gazing at MV as if possessed by something. The reason for this strange happening, MV explains, that this Brahimin lady is actually his real mother and he is her own son. His parents are then both initiated, by MV's hand, and Devananda is entrusted to Arya Candana for special care (also cf. D-3).
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The Kalpasutra describes that MV was removed from the womb of Brahmani Devananda and transferred to the womb of Kşatriyani Trisala by Harinaigameşi. We have already touched upon Harinaigameşi's position expressed in the Bhagavati V.4.186 (cf. A-3-4). Mysterious birth account of MV in the Kalpasutra was obviously concocted on the basis of the Bhagavati X. 33.379-81 and V.4.186. Then, the text under our consideration, although expressed in the form of a pure dramatic fiction, is probably hiding a historical fact concerned with MV's real parents, that remains to be investigated. At present we content ourselves with surmising that MV was in all probability born as the son of this Brahmin couple, and was then for some reason or other adopted and brought up by a Kșatriya couple. He was thus probably in a position to be claimed by both classes.
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That MV is a Kşatriya never occurs before the time of Kalpasutra.'? The Jainas' disgust with the Brahmins and the consequent claim of their Master in the Kşatriya class seems to be related to the mass exodus of the Jainas from Mathura which took place in the Gupta age due to the Hindu revival movement led by the Vaisnavas in the main. This historical event was sufficient to cause the then Jaina authorities to make up their Master's birth story without hesitation as told in the Kalpasutra. This text was probably written around the time when V.4.186 was composed, i.e., the early fifth canonical stage.
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In contrast to the above story which is designated 'Brahmana Kundagrama', Jamali's story occurring in IX.33.382-89 is designated 'Ksatriya Kundagrama'. This story tells that Jamali, after hearing MV's sermon, finally obtains his parents' permission and is initiated into MV's order; but after committing offences against MV, he leaves him and dies without performing alocanapratikramana (cf. D-1b; also cf. D-3 for his future). Here his relationship with MV as his son-in-law, which must have been an open secret in tradition, is For Private & Personal Use Only