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Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Jaina Mythology
The story has been utilised rather to inculcate the transitory nature of the worldly objects and, as such, has been adapted to subserve the religious purpose without any regard for the preservation of the genealogical as well as historical aspect of the narrative Gunabhadra's version, however, is contradicted by majority of the Puranas which, as stated before, show general agreement in their own versions of the legend
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Next, similar lack of uniformity is seen with regard to the genealogical position of Jahnu and Bhagiratha In the Brahmanical tradition the former occurs as an illustrious king of the Aila race and the latter is set out as fourth in descent from Sagara But in the Jaina Puranas both the persons recur in varying forms and diverging relationship.
Now, so far as Jahnu's position is concerned the UP and SPC do not mention him in any capacity VPC, on the other hand, has apparently turned him into Sagara's queen and has, accordingly, transformed the name to Jahnavi, as whose son Bhagiratha32 has been set out Among the Digambara works RPC33 alone mentions him as Sagara's son JHV however, gives the name in a confused way inasmuch as the work refers to one Ahnu as Sagaro's eldest son, which term is undoubtedly a corrupt form of Jahnu
As regards the genealogical position of Bhagiratha, he too finds varying representation in the said works Except in RPC he occurs in all the above Purānas35 as Sagara's son Now what
30 AIHT, pp 99-101
31 The order of descent 18
Sagara-Asamafija-Amśumat-Dılıpa-Bhagiratha,
Vide Vayup 88 165-67, HV 1 15 12-15 Mbh, 3 107 84-69, cf. Rāmā 1 70 25-26, 2 110 25-27
32
z àì sozfa-qa qfęfasdsy ufazfé zou i
33 5284a
34
पत्रा पष्टिमत्राणि तस्य दुर्ललितक्रिया | परम्परमहीना प्रत्याख्यातानुपूर्वका ।
36 VPC. 5 173-76, UP 48 127 130, SPC, 6,10 4-8,
VPC 5 201a
JHV 13 28.
