Chanakya Explored in Jaina Literature

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Firodaya Prakashan

Page 92

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on tour ; I have no loan at my credit and I possess thousand golden coins. Oh drummers ! beat the drum on my happy (satisfied) life !" Passage 20 :
एवं णाऊणं रयणाई मग्गिऊणं गोट्ठागाराणि सालीणं भरियाणि रयणाई गद्दभियादीणि पुच्छितो छिण्णाणि छिण्णाणि जायंति, आसा एगदिवसजाता मग्गिता, एगदिवसियं णवणीतं मग्गितं । एस परिणामिता चाणक्कस्स बुद्धी ।
Thus having known the abundance of wealth of rich persons, Cāņakya asked for the jewels, the species of grains, the horses born during one day and the butter produced in one day. Thus Cāņakya filled up the royal food-grannaries and treasury.
All these are the examples of Cāņakya's wisdom-acquired through experience.
We observe that the famous cūrņikāra Jinadāsagani has given the life-story of Cāņakya-Candragupta up to this point. From the cūrņis on Niśītha and daśavaikālika, we know that the cūrņi of Āvaśyaka contains the whole biography of Cāņakya up to his death. But in spite of our rigiorous search, we were unable to find it in the ĀvCū. So, in continuation with the story of the ĀvCū, the further
life-story is added here from the Nis Cū. and the DasaCū. to know
the whole biography of Cāņakya at a glance. The translation is mostly according to the original text with a bit freedom. [15-17]
Niśītha-cūrņi of Jinadāsagani-mahattara belongs to the 6th - 7th century A.D. The other name of this cūrņi is Niśītha-veśeșa-cūrņi. The salient features of this cūrņi are almost like the AvCū. Three important references to Cāņakya are found in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th parts of the concerned text. All the references are connected with the Jaina monastic conduct. The original textual parts and its summary is given herewith.