History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 155

138
A HISTORY OF THE CANONICAL LITERATURE OF THE JAINAS
on their being harrassed for their untouchability, they had resorted to asceticism. In this birth, Brahmadatta is being pursuaded to renounce the world but he pays no heed to it.
Ajjhayana XIV is a splendid dialogue between a Purohita and his sons. Herein the latter convince the former that the ascetic ideal is to be preferred to the pseudo-Brāhmanika one. Thereupon all of them and the wife of that Purohita, too, take the Jaina diksā.
Ajjhayana XXII is a dialogue between Rathanemi, an elder brother of Lord Neminātha and Rājimati. The former, though a Muni, makes an indecent offer to the latter, a nun. Thereupon this nun admonishes him and makes him steady in his asceticism.
Ajjhayana XXIII furnishes us with a dialogue between Gautama, the 1st Ganadhara of Lord Mahāvīra and Kesin, a learned follower of Lord Pārsva.2 The former was asked by the latter as to how he reconciled the five mahävratas of Lord Mahāvīra with the cāujjāma dhamma of Lord Pārśva, and further, how he interpreted the acelakatva propounded by Lord Mahāvīra with sacelakatva of Lord Pārsva. Both these points were satisfactorily explained by Gautama. Thereupon Kesin asked him several riddles pertaining to Jainism,
1. Herein it is mentioned that Krsna is a son of Vasudeva, and Neminātha, that of
Samudravijaya, a brother of Vasudeva. As regarda Rājímatí it is said that she was the daughter of Ugrasena, and sister of Kamsa and was betrothed to Lord Neminātha. All these relations with some more may be presented as under :
Yadu
Śūra
Śaurin
Suvīra
Andhakavrsni
Bhojavrsni
Samudravijaya
Vasudeva
Ugrasena
Devaka
Rathanemi Aristanemi Balarāma Vậsudeva Kansa Rājīmati Devaki
(son of Rohini) (son of Devaki) Kamsa had married Jivayaśā, sister of Jarasandha. 2. He is said to have attained salvation 250 years before Lord Mahavira. In one of his
previous births he is represented as King Suvarnabāhu. This episode reminds one of the description of Dusyanta's seeing Sakuntalā and her female friends given in Abhijñanaśākuntala (1).