Aspects of Brahmanical Influence On Jaina Mythology

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

Page 91

The Manus and their Periods
and subdued rides, the Manu of that period trained his people to equp the above animals with various paraphernalia Thus, the elcphants were furnished with housing, and to keep them under control the elephant drivers were provided with hooks and goads, while horses were saddled and bridled for safe riding 35
During the reign of Maruddeva, the twelfth Manu, men Icarnt the art of boat-making which paved the way for navigation They also acquired proficiency in mountaineering, made pathways along the forests and cut steps up the hills to facilitate their access to those places. It was during his period that hillocks, small seas, rivulets as well as fickle clouds with intermittent rains appeared 36 But after this epoch the period of enjoyment entered its last stage of degeneration Still, the vestiges of this period kept lingering till the reign of Prasenajt, the thirteenth Manu37
By the time of Nābhı, the fourteenth Manu, Kalpavrkşas suffered total extinction, and, with their disappearance the land of enjoyment vielded place to the land of acuon. This transition impelled people to change from the life of enjoyment to that of action The change, however, placed them at the cross-roads of their existence For some times they were forced to lead a life of utter helplessness and starvation, be. cause the only means of their subsistence, the Kalpavskşas, were no more within their approach But eventually Nature took compassion on them and clouds appearing in the sky started raining Now, owing to the even rainfall on the earth, various kinds of crops grew in the virgin soil without tillage and in no time began to invite the starving peoplc, as it were, with their tossing ears of ripe and colourful corns 38 But the
35 MP 3 117-119 36 Ibid 3 139-145 37 Ibid 3 146 38 Ibid 3 162-188 The Brahmanical cpic-Purānic tradition also informs
us that after the total extinction of the Kalpaork sas, the clouds moisted the carth with rain-waters, which caused spontancous gronth of four