Jain Journal 1968 04

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

Page 39

APRIL, 1968
185
"I have my turn once in a hundred days It is better to have even a ploughman as one's husband, provided he has no other wife, than to be married to a highly cultured Cakravarti ruler who has many wwes It is best not to be born at all, to be even without a husband and children, than to be a co-wife 19 any life Even if a husband tries to be impartial, a co-wife cannot help feeling slighted Only she deserves being called a woman, who is loved like Gauri by Sankara, Laksmi by Hari, and Brahmani by Brahma, others are mere she-goats It is only great past merit which provides a woman with undisputed mastery over her household Blessed are the women in whose case there is no faultfinding by mother-in-law, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, for then they can live as they like "
The envious expectation of a life without a cavıling mother-in-law sister-in-law and brother-in-law is probably shared by many ladies in India today
Hemacandra himself has left certain descriptions in his Trışaştısalākāpuruşacarita which betray a striking parallel with certain aspects of modern society About the physicians he writes "Like a courtesan, you never glance even at a friend even though he is sick, even though asking, unless you are paid"
sadā sastutamapyartamapı prarthakamapyaho vesyä iva yină dravyam yuam na ksanapi pasyatha
But more sweeping is Hemacandra's criticism of the morals and conducts of the Brahmins, merchants, women, and princes .
brahmanajñātiradvisto varigjātiravancakah priyajātiranirvyāluh fariri ca nirāmayah vidvān dhani gunyagarvah strijanaścăpacapalah rajaputrah sucaritrah prāyena hi na drsyate
A Brahmin's relatives free from animosity, a merchant who is not deceitful, a lover who is not jealous, a body free from disease, a learned man who is rich, a meritorious person free from pride, a woman who is not fickle, and a prince with good morals--these are seldom seen
Apparently greedy physicians, dishonest merchants, proud and poor intellectuals, and fickle lovers were as common in Hemacandra's