Ancient Jaina Hymns

Author(s): Charlotte Krause
Publisher: SCIndia Oriental Institute Ujain

Page 22

ANCIENT JAINA HYMNS
to 880 B. C. and that of his death to 780 B. C. He is generally admitted to be an historical personality. Mahävira's well-known data are, of course, history, though their accurate placing is still an object of discussion.
(4) The names of the Tirthankaras' fathers and mothers, out of which those of Munisuvrata are quoted in our texts (st. 5 of the pertinent stavana).
(5) The dynasties to which they belonged (loc. cit.). (6) Their birth-places (loc. cit.).
(7) The countries to which they belonged (loc. cit.).
(8) Their colour: 16 being of brown, and each two of white, black, red, and bluish complexion. Munisuvrata's "syāma-varṇa" is referred to in the text just quoted (st. 6).
(9) The
characteristic body-marks, such as Munisuvrata's tortoise mark (loc. cit. st. 6) or Pārsva's snake mark.
(10) The body-height (for Munisuvrata loc. cit. st.6).
(11) Biographical items of their previous existences. In our texts, nine previous existences of Munisuvrata are mentioned (loc. cit. st. 3-4), re. which the individual treatise infra may be referred. The SankhesvaraPārsvanatha-stavana (st. 3-4) contains an allusion to Pārsvanatha's former lives in the shape of a reference to "Kamatha", Parsvanatha's hostile brother in his existence as Marubhūti, a minister's son. In that existence, which happened aeons ago, Kamaṭha killed Marubhūti. Subsequently, both brothers were reborn in various parallel existences, and each time, the incarnation of Kamatha hated and finally killed that of Marubhūti. In Marubhūti's final existence as Pērsvanatha, Kamatha was incarnated as Katha, a Hindu ascetic,
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