Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

Author(s): Shaktidhar Jha
Publisher: Bharat Bharti Bhandar

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Aspects of Brahmanical Influence on the Jain Mythology
by another hawk and the seed fell into the river Ganges A fish swallowed the impregnating semen and became pregnant with a female child In the full month of its pregnancy the fish was caught by a fisherman, and after it was rent asunder, a female child came out of its womb As she emitted filthy fishy smell so she was named Matsyagandhá Because of all-smell of her body her dwelling was made on the bank of the river Gangā where she lived by rowing passengers across the river One day the sage Parāśara caught sight of her on board the boat and desired her love The girl yielded to his sexual urge and he in turn made her Yojanagandha (with a wonderful perfume in a Yojana around) Now Yojanagandha, immediately after her cohabitation with Parasara, gave birth to Pjāsa who, soon after his birth, accompanied his father for practising penance Later on, this same Yojanagandha was married by King Santanu to whom she bore two sons, Citra (Citrāngada) and Victra (Vicitraditja)
Now, a comparison of the epic account of Satyavati's biography and the present summary of the tale reveals that except for the foisting of Santanu into the tale as the father of Matsya. gandha, the abovementioned account has almost everything in common with Mahābhārata myth10s of Satyavati's exiraordinary birth with one conspicuous point of disagreement between the two accounts The distinction is marked by the fact that in the epic version it is not Santanu but King Vasu Uparıcara of Cedz who fathers Matsyagandhā in the manner described above
104 The cpic story in a nutshell is that hing lasu Uparicara of Cedt hilc out
hunting excursion sends forth his scmen by a hand to his wife during the period astcr mcnscs But in its journey towards the capital the carrier is attached by another haul and the scmen falls into the auc Yamunā An Apsaras Adrikā, transformed into a fish through a cursc, swallows the seed and conceives And when caught by a fisherman, the fish brings forth two children, one male ani one female The malc chuld is made over to his father l'asu and the female child is adopted by the fisherman as his daughter who reccives various names such as Malsgagandhu, Gandhol ali, Dasei ctc She when still a virgin, becomes the mother of krsna Dra pāj ara jasa by the sage Parasara and later becomes the wsc of King Santanu to whom she bears two sons Citrängada and Vocilravīra,-Mah 1 63 39-80, 1 95 48-50, 1 100 47 ff