Comprehensive History Of Jainism

Author(s): Aseem Kumar Chatterjee
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd

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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF JAINISM
gana, the Nāgabhūtikiya kula. Now this particular gaña appears in the Therävali in an unchanged form. The name of the kula also appears as Nāgabhūya in the Therāvali, where it is cited as one of six kulas under Uddeha gana. The same text further informs us that this gaña originated from Arya Rohana, one of the disciples of Suhastin. This gana therefore, like Koliya and Vāraṇa, originated in the second half of the third century BC.
One inscription,78 of the year 9 mentions ‘Mahārāja Kaniska'. It records the dedication of an image by Vikață, wife of Bhațțimita at the request of vācaka Nāganandi from the Koliya gana, Sthāniya kula, the Vairi sākhā. Now, sthāniya is apparently a Sanskrit term. In Prāksta it should be thānijja, which actually appears as vāņijja in the Therāvalī under Koliya gaņa. The name of the kula, Vairī, appears unchanged in the Therāvali. There is another inscription of the same date (i.e., the year 9) which was first decoded by R.D. Banerji," and later corrected by Lüders.80 This inscription yields the name of the same gaņa, kula, and sākhā that we find in the previous inscription of the same date. It records the gift of Grahapalā, daughter of Grahamitra, daughter-in-law of Avasiri, wife of Kaļala, at the request of Arya Taraka who belonged to the gaña, etc., mentioned above. Another short inscription between the feet of the Jina mentions t female pupil (śiśirnī) of Arya Aghama. R.D. Banerji also refers to another image inscription of the year 12 which was supposed by him to be an image discovered from Ramnagar, the ancient Ahicchatra. He evidently relied on Führer82 for this report, the person who probably discovered this image. Lüdersøs is however of the opinion that not a single Jina image was ever discovered from the site mentioned in Führer's 'Reports'. The inscription under discussion mentions the Koliya gana, Bambhadāsiya kula and Ucenāgari śākhā.81 According to R.D. Banerji, a number of carpenters85 jointly made the gift of an image. The person who inspired them to do so, according to Lüders, is Deva, the sister of Nandi, the female pupil of Arya Pusila. Chronologically the next Jaina inscription87 is dated in the year 15 and records the dedication of a fourfold (sarvato bhadrikā) image of Bhagavat by Kumāramitā, wife of śreşthin Veņi, mother of Bhațțisena, at the request of Arya Vasulā, the female pupil of Arya Sangamikā, who was the female pupil of Ārya Jayabhūti of the Mehika kula. It is of very great interest to note that the same nun, Arya Vasulā, is mentioned in a Mathurā inscription88 dated in the year 86 in which the monk Jayabhūti and the nun Sangamikā