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44
Nalini Balbir
(iv) Parallel versions occurring in däna-collections show the existence of disagreements as Revati becomes the 17th F. T. named Samadhi"*.
"In contrast, may be by chance all the evidence I could trace is consistent in the case of Sulasă, also a laywoman of Mahavira's time she is a F. T. according to Than T (p. 433a), the 15th F. T. Nimmama in the Prakrit Akhyanakamanikosa (p. 97, ga. 52) or in the Apabhraméa version of the Mülaśuddhiprakarana. Thus :"
(tatto) cavittu agaminle Titthayaru bhaviss" ussappigle
panarāsāmau namim Nimmamattu, apparimiya-pāṇa-caritta-sattu
(p. 56. 5-6).
Statements presenting heroes as F. Ts. were available from the tradition; they could freely be used by the Mediaeval popular literature if necessary to fulfill the requirements of the preaching monks: Revati is a F. T. in works praising charity, but not in biographies focussing on Mahavira; Ambada is the 22nd F. T. in a story where he is the main figure", but not in the verisons mentioned above where he appears as a co-hero together with Sulasa.
In most cases, however, narrative sources are too fragmentary to allow any conclusion regarding possible discrepancies as they do not mention the T's name or serial number;65 e. g. Baladeva is only a. F. T. in the Digambara Uttarapuraṇa and Mahapuraņa (cf. 4.).
1.2.2. Narrativa sources about F. Ts' careers.
name
All the stories which have been considered in 1.2.1 end with the F. Ts' and/or serial number, at most, I now come to the F. Ts' lives in the utsarpini age.
Descriptions are available in the case of the Ist. F. T. Śrenika-Mahäpadma. They are found in Than 9 (S. I, 299, 13-302, 17), and Titthogali, ga. 1025-1112. The Lokaprakãía (552b, 22-553b. 19) is a late Sanskrit version which does not provide any new information; the Prakrit account of the Apäpäbṛhatkalpa is reduced to a few lines; hence they will generally be omitted here.
The Than episode in the usual stereotyped Canonical prose is told by Mahivira himself and presented as a prophecy :
esa nam, ajjo, Sepie raya Bimbhisare....uvavajjihiti (299, 13-14).
It fixes the pattern of all future Ts' biographies and includes the following ele. ments; in the coming utsarpini, rebirth in the country of the Pundas in the city Šatadvara at the foot of Mt. Vaitädhya as Mahäpadma, the son of the kulagara Sammuci and his wife Bhadrä""; birth-festivities and the ceremony of name-giving; coronation and life as a king also known as Devasena and Vimalavahana; visit of
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