Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 53
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 384
________________ SRA 190 SRA converted him to his own religion by preaching to him the Kumdra-drishtanta-Sutra. Pragenajit had two sons Jeta and Virudhaka by two wives. Sudatta, called also Anathapiņdika or Anathapiņdada on account of his liberality, was a rich merchant of Srivasti and treasurer to the king; he became a convert to Buddhism while Buddha was residing at Sitavana in Rajgir, where he had gone to visit him. On his return to Śrávasti he purchased a garden, one mile to the south of the town, from prince Jeta, to whom he paid as its price gold coins (masurans) sufficient to cover the area he wanted (see Jetavana-vihåra), and built in it a Vihara, the construction of which was superintended by Sariputra (see Nalanda). Buddha accepted the gift of the Vihara, to which additions were made by Jeta who became a convert to Buddhism, hence it was called Jetavana Anathapiņdikdrama or simply Jetavana-Vihara. The Vihara contained two monasteries called Gandha-kuțiand Kosambakuți which have been identified by General Cunningham. The alms-bowl and begging pot and the ashes of Sâriputra who died at Nalanda (see Nalanda) were brought to Sravasti and a stupa was built upon them near the eastern gate. Visakha, the celebrated female disciple of Buddha, built here a Vihara called Pärvårâma which has been identified by General Cunningham with the mound called Orå Jhar, about a mile to the east of Jetavana (see Bhaddiya). Buddha resided for 25 years at JetavanaVihara in the Punyasala erected by Prasenajit (Cunningham's Stupa of Bharhut, p. 90; Arch. S. Rep., I, p. 330; Anc. Geo., p. 407). 416 Jatakas (birth-stories) out of 498 were told by Buddha at this place. Devadatta, Buddha's cousin and brother of his wife Yasodhara, who had several times attempted to take away the life of Buddha, died at this place during an attempt he again made on his life (see Giriyrajapura). Chiñchå, a young woman, is as set up here by the Tîrthikas to slander Buddha. The sixteenth Buddhist patriarch, Rahulatâ (see Tamasavana) died at Jetavana-vihara in the second century B.C. Prasenajit was a friend of Buddha, but his son Virudhaka or Vidudabha who usurped the throne, became a persecutor of the Buddhists. He murdered Jeta, his brother, and he slew 500 youths and 500 maidens of Kapilavastu whom he had taken prisoners, though his mother Vasabha Khattiya or Mallika was the daughter of a Sakya chief by a slave girl Mahananda (Spence Hardy's Manual of Buddhism, 2nd ed., p. 292, and Avadana Kalpalata, ch. 11). He was burnt to death within a week as predicted by Buddha. Traditionally Śrâvasti, or as it was called Chandrikapuri or Chandrapurî, was the birth-place of the third Tîrthapkara Sambhavanatha and the eighth Tirthankara Chandraprabh&natha of the Jainas. There is still a Jajna temple here dedicated to Sobhanåth which is evidently a corruption of the name of Sambhavanatha. The names of the 24 Tirthaukaras of the Jainas with their distinctive signs are as follows; l. Rishabha Deva or Adinatha (bull). 2. Ajitanatha (elephant). 3. Sambhavanatha (horse). 4. Abhidandana (monkey). 5. Sumatinátha (Krauncha or curlew). 6. Padamprabha (lotus). 7. Suparsva (Svastika). 8. Chandraprabhånåtha (moon). 9. Subidhinatha or Pushpadanta (crocodile). 10. Sitalnatha (Srivatsa or white curl of hair). 11. Srey&mganatha (rhinoceros). 12., B&supůjya (buffalo). 13. Bimalanatha (boar). 14. Anantanátha (falcon). 15. Dharmanatha (thunderbolt). 16. Sântinátha (deer). 17. Kunthunatha (goat). 18. Aranatha (Nandyavartta), 19. Mallinatha (pitcher). 20. Munisuvrata (tortoise). 21. Nam inåtha (blue water-lily). 22. Neminátha (conch). 23. Parsvanatha (hooded serpent). 24. Mahavira (lion). The name of Sahet-Mahet is said to have been derived from "Mahásetthi" by which name Sudatta was called, and people still call the ruins of Jetavana as "Set " (Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol. XII, p. 127). The inscription of Govindachandra of Kanouj, dated 1128 A.D., sets at rest the question of identity of Sråvasti with Sahet-mahet, the site of Sahet represents the Jetavana, and that of Mahet the city of Sravasti (Dr. Vogel : Arch. S. Rep., 1907-9, pp. 131,227).

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