History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 162

THE EXTANT AGAMAS OF THE JAINAS
145
accordingly divided into two suyakkhandhas styled as Duhavivāgal and Suhavivāga, the former occupying a space about 7 times that occupied by the 2nd. Each of these furnishes us with ten narratives. These narratives describe the lives of ten persons. Therein their two lives as a human being are given in details whereas their subsequent transmigrations in the saṁsāra and their attaining liberation in the end, are summarily disposed of. In the Duhavivāga all the 10 persons concerned are not males as is the case with Suhavivāga; but there are only 8 males, the remaining two being females.
This Vivāgasuya can be looked upon as a work on kathānuyoga as it deals with narratives. These narratives supply us with a beautiful picture of the society of those days when this work was composed. For instance we learn therefrom (89) that a blind man led by a man having eyes and having a stick held in front of him used to earn his livelihood by going to various houses and by creating a feeling of compassion for him in the persons he came across. The mention of 16 diseases (822) viz. asthama, cough, fever, burning sensation in the body, pain in the stomach or belly, fistula, piles, indigestion, an eye-disease, head-ache, loss of appetite, pain in eyes and ears, itching, dropsy and leprosy and over and above this, that of aggiä (827), a disease which rapidly consumed anything when eaten and which according to Abhayadeva Sūri, is known as bhasmaka, give us an idea of the diseases known in those days. The remedies in the case of the 1st 16 diseases (§ 23) such as various kinds of enema, purgatives, vomitings, medicated baths etc., show how far the medical science was then developed. So far as surgical science is concerned cutting of veins and skin for making them bleed, deserves to be noted. In 1,7 there is mention of Auvveya (Ayurveda) and Komārabhicca (Kaumārabhrtya = Paediatrics).
Propiation of deities for begetting progeny4 (138), fanciful longings of women when pregnant ($ 40, 68), throwing of a still-born 1-2 Each of these names is mentioned in plural in Vivāgasuya. See § 4. 3 In Suhavivāga only the first narrative is given in full whereas the rest in bare
outlines. Some females are over-anxious to have a child. Sutta 137 describes their longings which can be compared with Abhijñānasākuntala (VII, 17). Further the wording of this sutta is identical with s. 5 of the 8th Anga (III, 8). So the description given in s. 137, ought to have been abbreviated by using jāva, and, if, at all, it was to be given in full, it ought to have been so done in s. 40.