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JAINISM IN MATHURĀ
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sūtra 'Pārāśarya-silālibhyāṁ bhikṣunațasūtrayoḥ (4.3.110) is clearly proves that drama in India dates back at least to 500 BC.147 This problem cannot however be discussed here in details. It is sufficient to note that even before Aśvaghoṣa the art of drama was already in a sophisticated stage in Mathurā.
The next inscription148 is dated to year 80 and mentions Mahārāja Vāsudeva, beyond which there is nothing of much importance in the inscription. The inscription 149 of year 81 is slightly more interesting since it mentions a woman called Datā, the female pupil (āṁtevāsikinī) of Aryā Jivā. The image inscription 150 of year 83 mentions Mahārāja Vāsudeva and also a woman called Jinadāsī, who is represented as the wife of a perfumer (gandhika). We have two important Jaina inscriptions of year 84, the first decoded by R.D. Banerji and second by D.R. Sahni. The first inscription151 mentions mahārāja rājātirāja devaputra śāhi vāsudeva. It records the setting up of an image of Rşabha by several women at the request Kumāraka, pupil (sisya) of Gamikagutta. We have already noticed that the earliest Tirthamkara Rsabha appears in an inscription of year 60. The second inscription 152 of year 84, decoded by D.R. Sahni, records the gift an image of Vardhamana by Okhārikā, the daughter of Damitra and Datā. Two monks, Satyasena and Dharavệddhi of the Koliya gaņa, are also mentioned, as is woman called Okharikā in an inscription of year 299, as we will see later. For year 86 we have an inscription 153 which records the dedication by some woman, the daughter of Dasa, the wife of Priya, at the request of Arya Vasulā, the sišini of Sangamikā of the Mehika kula. As we have already noticed nuns Vasula and Sangamikā are mentioned in a much earlier inscription dated to the year 15. Of the two inscriptions!51 of year 87, the earlier one refers to Mitra, the pupil of Arya Kumāranandin of the Ucenāgara sākhā. The second inscription only mentions king Vāsudeva with his full titles. The inscription155 of year 90 is interesting since it refers to the Praśnavāhanaka kula and Majhamā sākhā of the Koliya gaña. In the Therāvali both these kulas and sākhās are mentioned. However, instead of Majhamā we get Majhimillā. The epigraph of year 93 records156 the setting up of an image of Vardhamana by the daughter of hairanyaka ("treasurer' according to Bühler) Deva at the request of the ganin Nandi.
The inscription of year 98 refers to rājña vāsudevasyal57 and two monks Kșema and Devadatta who belonged to Odehikiya gaña, the Paridhāsika kula, and Petaputrikā śākhā. A certain perfum
