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154
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1874.
acquired the essence of knowledge, having, by terated. It has the appearance of being written his power of discovering the past, present, and by an aged hand. The work may probably future, foretold in Ujjayini a period of twelve repay examination and analysis, but at present years of dire calamity (or famine), all classes I will confine myself to extracting the account of the people leaving the northern regions took it gives of the occurrences recorded in the intheir way to the sonth under the Rishi's direc- scription before us. tion. And in the countries they traversed We may begin with the birth and education might be counted many hundreds of villages of Bhadra Bahu:-While Padmarada was filled with ruins, among which appeared remains | reigning in the city of Kotikapura, in of human bodies, money, gold, grain, cows, Pundra Varddhana, in Bharata Khanda, his buffaloes, and goats. But when they had reach- quoen being Padmasri, and his purohita Soma ed a mountain with lofty peaks, whose name was Sarmma, a Brahmaņ; the wife of the latter, Katavapra,-an ornament to the earth; the named Somasri, bore a son. His father from ground around which was variegated with the an inspection of the child's horoscope, perbrilliant hues of the clusters of gay flowers ceiving that he would become a great upfallen from the beautiful trees; the rocks on holder of the Jaina faith, named him Bhawhich were as dark as the great rain-clouds filled dra Bahu, and performed the initiatory with water; abounding with wild boars, pan- ceremonies of chaula and upanayana accordthers, tigers, bears, hyenas, serpents, and deer; ing to the Jaina ritual. One day when filled with caves, caverns, large ravines and Bhadra Bahu, being then seven years of forests ;—that moon among the úcháris per- age, was at play with other children, Goceiving that but little time remained for him varddhana Mahamuni-who, accompanied by to live, and fearing on account of his present | Vishnu, Nandi Mitra, and Aparajita, all four mode of life, announced to the people his desire being Sruta Kevalis, and with five hundred to do the penance before death, and dismissed disciples, had come to Kotikapura in order them, so that none were left. Then, with one to do reverence at the tomb of Jambusvami single disciple, performing the sanyasana on -passed by. Looking on Bhadra Bå hu, stones covered with grass, by degrees he quitted the muni discerned from his lucky marks his body and attained to the state of the seven that he was destined to be the last of the hundred rishis. May it prosper this Jaina śásana! Sruta Kevalis. He therefore took the boy by
the hand and conducting him to his father, The inscription thus appears to be very offered to take charge of him and bring him up circumstantial, and to present several points in all wisdom. Soma Śarmma, prostrating himwhereby the period to which it belongs may be self, consented, relating how he had perceived identified. But the name Bhadra Báhu, at the boy's birth that he would become a disthough an illustrious one in Jaina annals, has tinguished Jaina. But his mother, Somasri, been borne by .nore than one individual. Those begged that before the díkske was performed who have made the Jaina hierarchy their stadyshe might see her son again. To this Govardmay be able to adjudge to the hero of the pre- dhana Svami agreeing, took Bhadra Bahu sent inscription his proper position therein. I with him, and made arrangements for his board will content myself with relating such traditions and lodging in the house of Aksha Sravaka. of him as have been met with in Maisur.
Through the svámi's instructions he acquired My authority is the Rájávali Kathe, a work a knowledge of the four great branches of in ancient Kanarese containing a summary of learning-yogini, sangini, prajñyáni, and prajñatJaina history from the earliest times, the nar- tena--of the Veda of the four anuyoga, of gramrative being frequently interrupted by curious mar and the fourteen sciences. Then, feeling legendary stories, and the whole winding up a strong desire for renunciation of family, body, with an apparently unexaggerated chronolo- and pleasure, he begged for dikshe, on which gical statement. The author's name is Deva- the stá mi sent him first to see his father and chandra, but he mentions nothing more about mother. Having obtained their consent, he himself than that he is "a truthful historian.” took the dikshe, and by the practice of jiyána, The manuscript is very old, and in places oblidhydna, tapassu, and samyama became an
