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CHAPTER IV DYNASTIC LISTS AND GENEALOGICAL ACCOUNTS
Almost all the Purānas under review provide lists of ancient royal dynasties in their own ways These lists are somewhat different from those occurring in the cpics and the Puranas of the Brahmanical school But when critically cxamined and analysed, these converge to the same truth as is conveyed by the traditional accounts
As stated already, the protagonists of early Jainism were totally opposed to matters of mundane nature, and were highly critical of the orthodox tradition which they had stigmatiscd as grossly worldly and nonconducive to the final relcasc of man from the perpetual cycle of birth, decay and death Under the circumstances, early Jaina texts cannot be expected to furnish any dynastic and genealogical information, for it was a theme which was long considered by them as incompatible with the spirit of their religion which preached futility of pride arising from a sense of pure and noble birth 1 Thus, keeping records of the origin of various families and accounts of ancient royal dynasties remained for long beyond the domain of Jaina tradition Hence, it is but natural that the early texts of canonical literature of the Svetāmbaras do not record any dynasty in its proper setting nor do they furnish gencalogical accounts thereof These works only declarc that Ihşvāku Rşabha had divided his people into four classes or corporations (Ganas) Those Ganas were styled Uggas (Ugras), Bhogas, Rāinnas (Rajanjas) and Khaltiyas (Kşatriyas)2 There are still other passages which refer to Ñātas (Jnāta or Jřätska) family together with two dynastic names such as Kaurava and Ihsvaku
1 Ullarā 12 5, 26 2017, TSPC, 42 328, 45 250-264 2 LAI, p 372, Uvāsagadasāa, VII 219 3 Udāsagadasão, 1 66,69 4 TẠI p 888, LAI 189-40, 881, PHAI, pp 119-120
