An Investigation Of Textual Sources On Samavasarana

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Nalini Balbir

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NALINI BALBIR
AN INVESTIGATION OF TEXTUAL SOURCES ON THE SAMAVASARANA
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the wondrous side of the samavasarana.
2.2.4. Categories 2.1.1 and 2.1.2. are basically different from categories 2.1.3ff. In the first set, samavasarana refers both to an act (the preaching of the Jina) and to the place of preaching. In the second set, samavasarana is to be understood as an object which becomes an object of worship, to the extent that it can become the subject of an hymn as a Jina (or a god or a goddess) is, the centre of a puja (especially among Digambaras) or that even a temple can be dedicated to it: Bhandarkar mentions the temple of Kumalgadh in Udaipur state, where the setting of the different groups attending the samavasarana is very much in agreement with the old sources. This may also account for the fact that the samavasarana became a subject which could be dealt with in the Vividhatirthakalpa, side by side with compositions devoted to Satrunjaya, Gimnar and other sacred places. This is probably the result of an evolutive process, which is not unique in Jainism. Nandiśvaradvipa, originally a continent of the Jain cosmology, and Astăpada, a mythical mountain, hava similarly become objects of worship which are either depicted on the walls of the temples, or constitute themselves the centre of a temple. Their original meanings have been retained, but they have been enriched through such a process. One of the reasons why these three items have been submitted to it may be that they all somehow embody the quintessence of the cosmos.
ments are still simple. Great emphasis is laid on the 'anatomic surnaturelle of the Jina, his wondrous, extraordinary and beautiful appearance and voice which are given a rational explanation thanks to the karma-theory. In other sources, this idea is strengthened, so that a samavasarana-description almost always includes a complete list of the 'eight marvels' (asta-prdriharya)' or of the 34 'excellencies" (arifesa). This idea also accounts for the representation of the Jina as a richly adorned figure in the manuscript-illustrations. On the occasion of the samavasarana, the Jina, who is supposed to have just reached Omniscience, unites all varieties of perfections, both spiritual and physical. He goes beyond the opposites, and combines both the qualities of a supreme king (cakravartin) and of a spiritual master. Thus, the samavasarana can be viewed as the Jaina archetype of all religious assemblies, which daily re-enact it, and, finally, it is a resort for all: some writers apparently like formulas of the type samavasaranam Saranam. The iconography of samavasarana has developed along its own lines: as is well known, the motif of pairs of animals who are natural enemies but peacefully listen together to the Jina's teaching has become a distinctive feature of miniature-painting, whereas the literary tradition does not put it in the foreground.
3. CONCLUSION In its general meaning, the word samavasarana refers to any assembly of beings. In its technical meaning, documented by the Canonical Svetambara literature, it refers to a sacred assembly held outdoors. Its description remains factual, and the setting is simple. The emphasis is on the sacred speech of the Jina. Slowly, incorporating and attracting elements from Canonical descriptions of various types of constructions (carth-palaces, flying-palaces of the gods, etc.), the samavasarana develops into a fully built fictive structure, especially in Digambara sources where it is a religious counterpart of a paradisiac town. The samavasarana-tract preserved in the exegetical literature is important, for it gives a complete picture of the early conception. The sacred space, which is first consecrated and then constructed, is both organized into a hierarchy and inclusive. The centre is endowed with symbolism. Architectural ele
On which see, for instance, U.P. Shah, "Evolution of Jaina Iconography and Symbolism, in U.P. Shah and M.A. Dhaky, Aspects of Jalna Art and Architecture, Ahmedabad 1975, p. 53-54.
See R. Williams, Jaina Yoga, p. 216, 221, 222 for statements of correspondences between the daily ritual and the samavasarana in the Medieval frdakdedra.s.
** D.R. Bhandarkar, op. cit., p. 160-161.