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14
DHARAMAPARIKSHA
different manner by Vyasa; how can men whose minds are warped by a false faith speak the truth ?"
Again, Manovega said to his friend, "You have heard the Sastra of our opponents which is full of incredible things. He who follows their precepts or the directions laid down by them does not obtain the desired fruit. Does anybody ever obtain oil by wringing sand ? It is not possible for monkeys to kill Rakshasas; what a difference between gods possessed of the eight great virtues and unintelligent brute creatures ! How can huge mountains be lifted up by monkeys, and how can they stand ( float) on the sea the waters of which are deep? If Ravana became incapable of being killed by the gods through a boon ( of Siva ), how could a god becom ng a man kill him ? It will not do even to say that gods became monkeys and killeci the Raksashas; you do not get what you want even thus. How can the All-knowing Samkara grant such a boon—a boon which was the source of irremediable harm to the world, even to the gods? When one thinks over the Puranas of the opponents, one finds no worth in them; can anybody find butter by churning water? These (beings ) Sugriva and others were not monkeys; and Ravana and others were not Raksashas, O friend, such a people imagine. All these were men, pure, righteous, and spirited, following the religion of Jina. They were called monkeys because their banner had a monkey on it, and the Rakshasas who were acquainted with a great many powerful arts, were so because they had a Rakshasa on their banner. One who desires salvation should have his eyes clear and believe these beings to be as they were described by Gautama, the lord of the Jinas, to Srenika."
Again; "Thus were great and righteous men of olden times described differently from what they were by Vyasa and others, whose minds were darkened by a false faith and who were not afraid of being precipitated into the great Hollow. The deluded Vyasa spoke a falsehood when he said that Duryodhana, the bee on the lotuses in the shape of the feet of the Jina, who was in his last bodily form, died, being killed by Bhima. Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and others whose hearts were anxious to embrace the lady Mukti or Salvation, had the nature of a Rakshasa attributed to tham, which is sinful, involving, as it does, the abonimable practice of the eating of flesh and even of men. Valmiki spoke falsely when he said that the great-souled Vali, who was the bridegroom of the bride in the shape of perfection, and the fetters of whose deeds were broken, was struck by Rana and killed”.
A good deal of this is written in the manner of a sectarian, but it does appear that the stories of the Mahabharata and Ramayana are differently told by the Jainas, and point perhaps to different authentic rescensions.
In the event, Pavanavega's mind is turned away from the popular religion, whereupon Manovega takes him again to Jinamati, the saint of Ujjayini, who instructs him in the Jaina faith.
Amitagati's spiritual genealogy is as follows:- 1. Virasena the best of the Mathuras (monks of Mathura ), 2. Devasvamin, 3. Amitagati, 4. Nemisena, 5. Madhavasena, 6. Amitagati, the author.
