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150
Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Jaina Mythology
famıly Now, a perusal of these statements clearly shows that the versions point to the same frullis and associations of her life as arc revealed by thc epic-Purānic works.
The epic168 tells us that shc and her twin-brother Malu'n were children of king Vasu by an Apsarar called Adnlů who was cursed by Lord Brahman to live on cartlı as a fish for certain period The twins were found in the womb of the fish. The malc child was made over to his father, king Vasu and the female child grew up in the house of her foster lacher, Dašalis (lowcaste man) This situation gave the girl the names Dásakanya160 and Dasejr 101 Now, as she cmnilied filthy fishy smell, so she was styled Malsgagandha162 and Maisjagandhınz 163 Next, through the grace of sage Parasata she gained wonder. ful perfume in place of the fish-odour, and on account of diffuse ing that pleasant smell, she recived the famous epithicts Gandhavati and Yojanagandha 101 Besides these attributives she also bore two personal narres, Kalz105 and Satyavatz 108 When she was still an unmarried virgin, the sage Parāśara met her while crossing the river Yamuna and prevailed upon her in having physical contact with him, and the result of the intercourse was Krşna Dvaipajana Vyasa who gave himself to asccu• cism Now, as he was born on an island (Dvipa) in the Yamuna so he received the epithet Dvaipajana 107 On account of his black complexion he was called Kyşna and as he divided the single veda into four and arranged them into the different Sam.
158 MB 1 63 50-80 159 Ibid, 1 63 67 160 Iord , 1 100 48,58, 1 104 9 161 Ibid , 1 100 50, 1 104.26 162 Iord , 1 63 09 103 Ibid, ? 63 67 164 Id 1 63 82 83 105 Ibid, 1 104 23, V 147 19, 30 166 Ibid , 1 63 68, 83, 86 167 न्यस्तो टोपे स यद्वालस्तस्माद् द्वैपायन स्मृत ।
-MBh 1 03 86b
