Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 192

176
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[SEPTEMBER, 1929
Indeed the participation of women in gambling points to an earlier dato. Mehta writes : "Gambling appears to have been in vogue during the Holi festival, as it is now in Northern India among the Hindus during the Divali, for Damodar Gupta says that it is only by the presence of the veil or otherwise that it is possible to distinguish good women from bad ones, who are engaged in the game of dice and use the language appropriate to the occasion."
Thus, good and bad women-all-played at dice, and some of them at least sooni to have boon expert in the game, as they used the language appropriate to the occasion.
The information has been derived from the Kuttanai-matan by Damodar Gupta, the chief Minister of king Jay&pida of Kashmir, written about 755-766 A.D.
In the Kathasaritságara we find that the Mothers, having been repeatedly defeated by Thintha karála, and not having found any way out of the scrape, were in very low spirits. Then the goddess Chamundâ said to them: “Whoever, when invited to gamble, says I sit out of the game,' cannot be forced to play : this is the universal convention among gamblers, ye Mother Deities. So when he invites you, you say this to him to baffle him."3
The deities thus bafited the gambler, who became depressed at finding himself checkmated by a knowledge of the etiquette of play. Then the gamblar endeavours to appease Mahakala by addressing him thus : "I adore thee that sittest naked with thy head resting on thy knee; thy moon, thy bull and thy elephant-skin having been won at play by Devi."'4
It is clear, therefore, that women were acquainted with the conventions and etiquote of gambling and played for stakes in the time of Somadeva certainly in, and possibly very much earlier than, the eleventh century A.D.
In the rock-cut sculptures at Ellora we find representations of Mahadeva and Devi playing at chausar or chaupar. In the Kathasaritságara, p. 523, Sloka 55 (N. M. Penger, Occait of Story, vol. VIII, p. 86), we read :
Krdantam priyaya sa kamaksairakşairivecchaya. Thero appear also to be references in the old Bengali literature to women playing at dice.
MISCELLANEA. WHO BUILT NEW RAJCIR :
in the Pali scriptures nor in the annotations 1. Did Bimbisára build it?
is there mention of two Rajagrhas. The site on Bimbis års had his capital in old Rajagrha. It is which New Rajagrha was built is much higher than rolated of Siddhartha that he entered the town by
the hill.girt city, which lay in the valley to the south. the Tapoda gate and, after begging in the streets, It corresponds to the Sitavana and Sappa-Saundi. wont out again and sat down to take his meal at the kapabbhara mentioned in the Buddhist sacred foot of the Pandavapabbate. He was seen by books. Bimbiskra from the top of his palace when walking II. Did Ajätasatru build New Rajgir ! In the in the street. After attaining enlightenment uncier SAmania-phala Sutta it is mentioned that Ajátasatru the Bodhi.tree, he went to Benares, where he began went out of the city by the east gate to.see the Budpreaching. From Benares he went to Uruvela, dha, who was living at the time in theJivakamba-vana thence to Gay A and subsequently to Latthivana vihara, which lay to the east of the city wall, (Jethian) within the Rajagtha area. Here he was near the south-east bend of the eastern hill on the met by Bimbisára, who invited him to Rajagrha. way to the Grddhrakuta hill. There is a cireum. After receiving him in his palace at Rajagrha,
stantial description of the royal procession as it Bimbisara made him a gift of & garden (Veluvana) passed out of the city and wended its way towards outside the walls of the royal city. It is also known Jivaka's mango gardon, a part of the road being that Bimbis dra was confined in a jail or fort within dark on account of the thick growth of trees and the the city, and that he could see the Buddha from his hill top intercepting the moonbeams. This would place of confinement. This may be one of the forts seem to indicate that Ajátasatru also lived in the discovered by the late Mr. V.H. Jackson near the royal city in the valley. southern wall of the old city: the Grddhrakuta The only reference relied upon to support the hill can be seen from that place.
contention that New Rajagrha was built by AjátaAll this points to the fact that Raja Bimbisara satru appears to be a statement in the Samyutta lived and died within the old walled city. Neither Nikâya to the effect that he ropairod the fortifications
JBORS., vol. XIV, p. 368. Italics are mine. 8 N. M. Penzer, op. cit., p. 18. Ibid., p. 19.