Antgadadasao evam Anuttaravavaidasao

Author(s): P L Vaidya
Publisher: P L Vaidya

Page 12

xii INTRODUCTION There is another short narrative in this chapter. Atimukta, a young prince, one day accompained Goyama, the disciple of Mahavira, to see what his Master was like, and after listening to his discourse, joined the Order of monks. The only interesting passage in the narrative is $131, wherein his parents asked him whether he understood what is meant by dharma. His reply was that he understood that he would die one day and that it was his own acts that were responsible for his destiny (SS 124-133). The last two chapters mention twenty-three wives of king Seniya who joined the Order of nuns, practised various penances under the direction of Candana, the chief nun of Mahavira, and attained perfection. The Anuttarovavaiyadasao, Sk., Anuttaropapatikadasa, is the ninth Anga of the sacred Canon of Jains, and literally means ten (lessons in the first vagga) on persons who were born in the five Anuttaravimapas, i. o., highest heavenly mansions. The work has in all three chapters and thirty-three lessons, all almost mechanically narrated. The only interesting feature of the work is the description of the body of Dhanna, Sk, Dhanya, when he became emaciated on account of hard penance. It is my pleasant duty to acknowledge here the help that I received from Dr. I. D. Barnett's transe lation of these works. I have made constant use