History of Jaina Monachism

Author(s): S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute

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S. B. DEO ed with the spread of Jainism in Saurāṣtra as well.220 From this it may be remarked that Jainism had its followers throughout north India by about the 2nd century B.C.
We have also noted the remark of CHARPENTIER who opines that the Jainas had already in the 3rd century B.C. begun to lose their foothold in eastern India. Samprati had made Ujjain as his capital, and the Jainas seemed to predominate more in Malwa, Mathura and central India.
Before 'studying the Mathura inscriptions, it would be better for us to see the state of Jainism in north India in post-Khāravela and pre-Mathura period.
Round about the first century B.C., according to tradition, there arose a great figure called Vikramaditya of Ujjaini who was said to have been converted to Jainism by Siddhasena Divākara, a famous Jaina teacher.221 Regarding the predecessor of Vikramaditya, Gardabhilla, the Jainas have an episode which depicts him as one who abducted the sister of the famous Kālakācārya. The latter sought the help of the Scythian kings in this matter. CHARPENTIER is against treating the whole story lightly, for he points out that the Kālakācāryakathā222 refers to the Scythian kings as Sāhānasāhih which is identical with the title 'Shaonano Shao' appearing on the coins of the Kushānas.223
A certain Kālaka is also said to have gone to king Sātayāņa (sātaváhana) at Pratişthānapura, where on account of the convenience of the king Kālaka changed the date of the Paryusaņa festival from the 5th to the 4th of Bhādrapada.224
Contemporary with these persons were Pādalittasūri and Vajraswāmin. The former is said to have gone to Mānyakheța (mod : Mālkhed), to cure the headache of a certain king Murunda of Pāțaliputra,225 while the latter is credited with the spread of Jainism to the south where the Buddhists were dominant.226 Padalipta was endowed with the power of flying through the air and he is said to have impressed the king, and founded the famous Satruñjaya. Besides this, a certain king Devapāla of Kumārapura was said
220. JBORS, XVI, pp. 29-31.
221. KLATT, I.A., XI, pp. 247, 251; Mrs. STEVENSEN, op. cit., p. 77; SHAH, op. cit., p. 187; EDGERTON, Vikrama's Adventures, Pt. 1, Intr. p. lviii.
222. v. 27; see also BỊh, kalp. bha. Vr 943; Nis. C., 10, p. 571ff. 223. CHI., i, p. 168. 224. Kālakācāryakathā, v. 54. 225. Prabhāvaka, 59. (Padaliptaprabandha). 226. Parisistaparvan, XII, 311, 388.