Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

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

Page 71

POLITY AND ADMINISTRATION
51
and the person in charge of taking a message was known as lehasamdesaga. He has been called lekhavaha in other Jaina texts.' Bāna as well as Yuan Chwang informs us that 'there were numerous couriers to carry messages to and fro'.8 Besides, there was an officer known as mudrika or mudradhyaksa who issued passports (mudda patta)" to travellers and traders for their safe and secure journey in the State. The persons travelling without the royal sanction or the passport ( muddā patta ) were liable to be imprisoned and punished. Treasury or Śrīgpha
The Department of Royal Treasury was the very life to the king and the State. King with an empty treasury (kosavihiņo rāya ), as mentioned before, was bound to be ruined." Misappropriation of the sources of royal treasury was a grave danger to the king. Evidently,the king was the head of the royal treasury and under him must have worked a number of other officials. The treasury of the king consisted of three parts. The first was kośaor the treasure-house where the currency and precious metals like gold and silver were preserved. The twenty-four varieties of pearls and jewels (rayana ) are said to be enriching the royal treasury.? The kotthagara: was the second place where all the twenty-four varieties of corns were stored, and the last one was called saṁtthāna' where the valuable royal clothes and dresses were safely kept. These departments had their respective heads like the kośadhyaksa and koșthāgārādhyaksa. No mention of them, however, is made in the text. The royal treasury was usually called sirighara
1. A JEH O gaara orrei iifa --NC. 3, p. 203; also Bih. V 7. 3, p. 786. 2. Vimalasūri, Paumacari ya, 37. 1. 3. Harsaourità, vv. 59, 160, 169, 179; Beal, op. cit., 1, p. 215. 4. NC. 3, p. 203. 5. NC. 3, p. 507. 6. Filt Ffé our com-NC. 1, p. 52. 7. NC. 2, p. 109. 8. TEETTITT TRY FIETATE you-NC. 1, p. 52. 9. "Hit Etui à 2007-0ac4__Ibid.,