Akhyanakmanikosha

Author(s): Nemichandrasuri, Punyavijay, Dalsukh Malvania, Vasudev S Agarwal
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 83

28
Gods and goddesses in AMKV.
give pieces of mandaya to a diseased prince out of pity ( 157.64). Kanjiya (gruel), kara ( preparation of boiled rice) and cinayakūra ( 365.93 cheliyāt akkasamjuo laddho cinayakūro) gorasa, dudha, dahi, mahi and takka, navaniya (butter), and shaya (ghsta), pejjā (yavāgū, 79.267 ), sattuga pindam H. Guj. 21491., cf. varasurabhi ghayagudāvila-navasattuga pindiya, 36.3; 36.6 ) etc. are mentioned. Rasavai ( 152. 20-21 ) and Ravipagarasavai are preparations of meat ( 262.3). King Nala was believed to be the only person who knew how to prepare ravipagara savai (54.260 ff). Preparations were sometimes prepared with specific objective (157,45 ) of creating disease, possibly by adding some ingredients, and a person was thus made to suffer from mandukka-roga. He was cured of it by the use of butter-milk mixed with rāiya-cunna (159.125 ). Kūlavāluka muni was given sweet-balls which brought about alisara-roga.
Kummāsa ( beans, afe) and several other grains are mentioned. A list of twenty-four food grains appears on p. 8, vv. 16-17.
Drinking was not unknown. A special variety of wine, saraka, is mentioned ( 318.249 ).
Several vehicles and furniture are mentioned : sagaļa (cart ), jugga ( especially famous in the golla country ), gilli (Hindi a thilli ( drawn by two horses or mules ), ratha, raha, gaddi (cart, small carriage ), sibiya ( Sibika, palanquin ), costly jam pāņam ( 142.64 ) and mahājānam ( 142.65 ) with jingling bells, pallanka (paryanka, HEV) etc. may be noted.
A list of weapons may be given from various descriptions of battles- kuntā, karavāla, taravāri, asi patra, karavatta, bhalli, sella, musundhi, moggara, kodandam, tiri, nārāya, musaladanda, tomara, tisála, kivāniā, kuddälia bhala, bhaliya, süli etc. are amongst the more common weapons in these descriptions.
Several gods and goddesses are referred to. Worship of yakşas and Nägas, more common in the Jaina Agamas and Cūrnis etc. gradually sink into background in these ākhyānakas except when some of the stories particularly concerned with the older yakşas (e. g. the story of Surapriya-yakşa or the Citrapriya yakşa) are described. Again, Brahmaśānti and Kaparddi yakśas who became more popular in Jainism in this age are referred to in our text. Worship of Jaina tirthańkaras as also five chief events (kallāna, kalyānaka) in the lives of thcse (359.153 ) when special festivals and worship were done in Jaina shrines are of course referred to. Several other details about Jaina practices of course appear.
We find reference to Tinduya-jakkha in Tinduga-ujjāņa (271.28 ) and a yakşa of Saptacchada-tree (sattacchayanāyagena jakkhena-363.27 ) referred to in this text show that yakşas were often regarded as Tree-spirits.
Jaina temples are generally referred to as a jinaharu jiņabhavana Caiyahara or Ceihara etc. Mathură is said to have been famous for the Stupa of Pārsvanātha.
There were tutelarly goddesses worshipped by people. A merchant asks his newly wedded daughter and her husband to go to the temple of Candiya ( Candika ) and bow down to their tutelary goddess (150.87 ff.). Images of Câmundā and others are mentioned at Gudasatthapura (170.20). Goddesses Lakşmi and Sarasvati are referred to, also, Vişnu and in another place Vişnu with sarkha and cakra ( 295.198 ), is said to have gadā, Sankha, cakra, and the sárnga-bow (22.87 ). Iconography of Viriñci (Brahma ), Kanha (Vişnu ), Sirikantha (Siva ) is available on p. 96, vv. 18-23. Also note the reference to Vrsabhadhvaja or Maheśvara, accompained by Kumāra, Gauri and Vinayaka ( 132.77)
People worshipped gods and goddesses for obtaining children etc. As merchant's wife, in the city of llāvarddhana, goes to the shrine of là-devi and prays to her and promises that she would arrange festival of yātră etc. in the shrine if she would be favoured with the gift of a male child. She also promised to name her son after the goddess.