Introducing Jainism

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 32

INTRODUCING JAINISM
Nirgrantha teacher Guhanandin of the Pancastūpanikāya of Banaras42 some pieces of land were donated by a person and his wife. "This vihāra, of the fourth or fifth century, probably occupied the site of the great temple unearthed at Pāhārpur (Rajshāhi District). It is worth noting that the founder of the vihāra was a monk, who migrated from Benaras to the East."43
In the seventh cent. A.D. from the records of Hiuen Tsang (who was in India from 629 to 645 A.D.) we come to know that both the Svetāmbara and the Digambara monks were found near Taxila to the west, and Vipula to the east. It also tells us that in Pundravardhana and Samatata to the east there were numerous Digambara Nirgranthas.44 That the Jains, particularly the Digambara sect, were not held in great esteem at least in Northern India can be gleaned from a reference to the Harsa-carita by Bāņa. The reference is to the Jain ascetics carrying peacock feathers to sweep insects out of their path. It is also said that the sight of a naked Jain ascetic is cited as a very bad omen (abhimukham ājagāma śikhi-picchā-lāñchano nagnāțakaḥ).45 At a much later time Viśākhadatta (8th-9th cent. A.D.) in his Mudrārāksasa Act IV. says that the sight of a ksapanaka is said by Amātyarāksasa to be an evil omen. So also Madhavācārya (13th-14th cent. A.D.) in his Sarvadarśanasamgraha (Ārhatadarśana) had the same opinion when he said- luñcitāḥ picchikāhastā” pāņipātrā Digambarāḥ Dandin in his Dašakumāracarita46 also made fun of a Jaina ascetic.
· Though there are some references to low estimate of the
Jain monks by some writers, the activities of the Jain monks were not, however, very poor. We can get this idea from a reference to a book Kuvalayamālākahā by Uddyotana
42. Marimdar, ibid., p. 410. 43. Majumdar, ibid., III, p. 410. 44. Majumdar, ibid., III, p. 410. 45. Harsacarita, 5th Ch. p. 20 of P.V. Kane's edn; see his
Introduction, p. xxxviii. 46. Dasakumāracarita of Kale's edn. second ch. of the Uttarapithikā, . p. 73ff.
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