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Fire Anga--texts -- story-collection
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throw light on the mythological concept of Väsudeva, Thus in the Padmavati story of Antakyt Vagga V ) we find him lamenting out the fact that he does not have the good fortune of embracing monkhood - listening to which Aristanemi explains to him that it is in the very nature of things impossible for a Vāsudeva to embrace monkhood, he having performed a particular evil act in his past birth; (Krsna is however assured that after being next born in a hell he will be born as a person destined to become a Tirthankara. Again, in the Draupadi-story of Jñatadharmakatha the situation so develops that the arrival of Vasudeva Krsna in the world-continent Dhātaikhanda - a world-continent different from the one called Jambüdvipa in which we live - is gomchow noticed by Vāsudevas Kapila born in that world-continent; Kapila is astonished because he knows that no two Tirthařkaras, two Vasudevas or two Baladevas can simultaneously appear in the same world-region, bis astonishment subsiding when Tirthankara Suvrata tells him that it was a case of a Vasudeva from another world-region visiting his world-region and that the two Viisudevas in question will not come face to face with one another. Another information often (e.g. in the Meghakumara story of Jñita dharmakatha conveyed in this connection is one to the effect that the mother of a Tirthankara or Cakravarti when he enters into her womb seeg 14 particular dreams, that of a Vasudeva 7 of them, that of a Baladeva 4 of them; however, no independent plot of a story is ever constructed on the basis of this piece of information.
Thus viewed the social as well as mythological themes of the Angic story-texts should help one in appreciating the entire body of Jaina story-literature. For themes similar to these are to be met with in this entire body of texts.
tire body of Saina
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