Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

Author(s): Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar

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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
duction to Nisitha has deduced Kurukṣetra to be the native place of the author. But seeing the formation of the sentence and the context in which it has been cited, the inference does not seem to be logical. On the other hand, the editor of the NC. feels that the commentator (the author of the NC.) must have belonged to the Lața country. While describing the four Great-festivals of the time the author remarks, "Here in the Lata country the Indra-maha is celebrated on the full moon day of Śravana". Mention of the word 'Here' (iha) shows that the author was writing his commentary in the Lata country." This reference gives a more plausible ground for discerning the place of Jinadasa Gaṇi. The internal. evidence, the cultural background and atmosphere depicted in the NC., seems to be more suitable to this part of the country. In the second uddeśaka of the NC., while explaining the nature of Adattādāna which enjoins upon the monks non-acceptance of even the smallest article which has not been given by others, the author explains ikkaḍā as a type of grass which is common in the Lața country. A few lines later, the author, writing in the same text, allows the monks to take the grasses like ikkaga if confronted by unusual circumstances, viz. while reaching the village at unusual time when there is no one to provide the same." This reference may also be taken as an indication towards the geographical background of the text. The innumerable references to the social customs of Kaccha, Saurastra, Laṭa, Mālavā, Mahārāṣṭra, Dak inapatha, Konkana etc., reveal the author's deep knowledge of these regions. An analysis of the geographical place-names mentioned in the NC, further indicates that while the references from east, north or north-west like Campã, Mathurā, Vārāņasi, Rājag ha, Ujjayinī, Gāndhāra etc. are in the context of
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1. Malvania, op. cit., p. 48.
2. इह लाडेसु सावणपोणिमाए भवति इंदमहो - NC. 4, p. 226.
3. 'इह' अनेन ज्ञायते लाटदेशीयोऽयं चूर्णिकार इति --NC. 4, p. 226, note 1.
4. वणस्सतिभेदो "इक्कडा" लाडाणं पसिद्धा – NC. 2, p. 81.
5. NC. 2, p. 82.
6. NC. 1, pp. 51-52, 100; NC. 2, pp. 94, 223; NC. 3, p. 39; NC. 4, p. 132.