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REMARKS ON THE TEXTS of Tripurā and her six friends,' still the very idea of “vidyās” in the sense of "tantric lores”, can be traced back to the Jaina Sacred Writings themselves. In their role as personifications of such tantric lores, they are linked up with the ancient Jaina legend of the origin of the “Vidyādharas”, as related in a number of texts. According to that legend, Nami and Vinami, two princes, had been absent when Rşabhadeva, the first Cakravartin, and, subsequently the first Tīrthařkara of this avasarpiņi, gave away all his property to his relatives and friends, to become an ascetic. Thus deprived of their share, they followed the Lord, serving him perseveringly, in the hope of material reward. The Lord, however, had now nothing to bestow. Dharaṇa, the ruler of the Nāgakumāras, and a devotee of the Lord, felt a desire to fulfil their hope. The earth and everything on it having been given away already, Dharaņa gave them land outside the usual realm of mortals, on the slopes of Mt. Vaitādhya, that mythological mountain range which traverses Bharatakşetra from east to west, being embraced by the Ganges and the Sindhu respectively. The land being 10 yojana above the ground, and inaccessible to ordinary man, Dharaņa also bestowed on the two princes 48,000 “uidyās”, enabling them to walk through the air and on water and to perform other miraculous feats. Thus outfitted, they settled on Nít. Vaitāļhya with their kith and kin, and founded eachi
(1) Vide Dakşiņamurti, “Uddhārakosa", ed. by Raghuvira, Introduce tion p. 9 f.
(2) Vide M. Bh. Jhaveri, loc. cit., p. 147 ff., and 271 ff.
(3) Representative are: Sanghadåsa Gani, "Vasudevahindi", IV, p. 163 f.; Jinadāsa Gani Mahattara, "Āvásyaka-Cūrni", p. 161 f.; Haribhadra Sūri, "Āvásyaka-Tīkā", p. 143 ff.; Hemacandra Sūri, "Trişaşti-éaläkapurugacarita", III st. 124-233; Vinayavijaya, Kalpasūtra-tikå "Subodhika", I, 212 (p. 152);—Cp. also M. Bh. Jhaveri, I. c., p. 175 f. and 260 ff.
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
